


Hard Landing

by JadeMoon



Series: Hard Landing [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Gen, My First Work in This Fandom, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-06 16:32:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 124
Words: 103,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15889833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeMoon/pseuds/JadeMoon
Summary: Chase crashes her car and lands in the Marvel Universe - which should not exist as it does. In her world, it is just comics and movies, the characters aren't real, but when she wakes up in the medical unit of Avengers Tower all that changes. She meets and makes friends with the crew, overcomes her homesickness and she and Bucky develop feelings for each other against Tony's warnings and wishes.





	1. The Crash

**Author's Note:**

> my first foray into sharing to the public - fanfic wise. Be gentle, but be honest. Tell me what you like/don't like. This is a work in progress, so please bear with me :)  
> Also, the chapters tend to be short, so while it looks like this is a huge novel, it really isn't. Not yet, at least.

Chase is on her way home when there is a blinding flash of light in front of her. She slams on the breaks and shields her eyes, which means she takes her hands off the wheel to do so. The car lurches to the left and slams into something unforgiving. The airbag deploys, throwing Chase back into her seat and knocking her out.


	2. Questions With No Answers

”Who is she?”

“How would I know? Pepper and I were running in the park, there’s a this blinding flash and then this ridiculous thunder clap and there this car is slammed into the light pole. She wasn’t there before, but she sure as hell was after.”

“Was she maybe blinded by the light then got into the accident?”

“There wasn’t anyone on the street, Bruce. Literally no one.”

“Dr. Strange is here.”

“Well now we have an idea how the hell she got here.”


	3. Waking Up

Chase slowly opened her eyes and looked around. From the harsh lighting and the crisp white walls she guessed she was in a hospital. But why? Her head felt like she’d spent the night putting her brain in a high powered blender. She tries to sit up, her head spins violently forcing her to sit still and close her eyes again. She opens her eyes again slowly. Her head is still swimming but she makes herself sit up. There’s an IV in her arm and lots of bruising on both of her arms. She vaguely remembers driving home from work and there was a large flash of light…

She realizes she must have wrecked the car when she was blinded by that flash. She looks around for a call button, hoping to get someone in here to help her out.


	4. The Gang's Mostly Here

“Okay,” Tony says then disconnects the call. “She’s awake,” he announces.

“Who?” Steve asks not really caring either way.

“Our mystery car crash?” Bruce asks.

“Her,” Tony responds. “She’s disoriented and apparently asking how the hell she got to New York.”

“Was she not in New York to begin with?” Sam asks after deciding to join the conversation.

“I don’t know,” Tony replies smartly.

“So, let me get this straight,” Rhodey says interjecting before Sam and Tony start to bicker, “she crashed her car into a light pole on an empty street and only you and Strange were witness to her….arrival?”

“Sure,” Tony says with a shrug, “let’s go with that.”

“There was a  disturbance in the temporal field right before she arrived. Something pulled her through to our realm,” Dr. Strange adds.

Bucky walks into the room and Tony groans.

“Dude, seriously?” Sam asks. Tony rolls his eyes at him.

“Can we keep the childish antics at bay, boys?” Natasha asks tiredly.  Bucky glances at Tony who scratches his cheek with his middle finger.

“What’s going on?” Steve asks ignoring Tony and Bucky’s antics.

“We have a visitor. From another dimension according to Dr. Weird here,” Sam explains.

“Dr. Weird,” Tony chuckles.

“It’s Strange, actually,” Dr. Strange says coldly.

“We know,” Tony and Sam say together.

“Another dimension?” Steve asks, unsure he’s heard this right.

“Blinding flash while Pepper and I were out jogging, suddenly there’s a car wreck on a completely empty street. No idea how she got there, and from what Bruce is telling us she doesn’t know how the hell she got to New York.”

Bucky takes a seat outside of the group conversation but listens all the same. He’s not comfortable being around the others yet, especially Tony. Guilt still plagues him and Tony makes no bones about his absolute loathing of Bucky.

“Wait,” Steve says trying to wrap his mind around the conversation he just walked in on. “You were jogging. No one was on the street, then there’s a flash of lightning and then a wrecked car with some dame no one knows…”

“Your little colloquialisms are getting old, Rogers,” Tony says meanly. “And no, not a lightning flash, think more like a blinding atomic bomb flash.”

“You’d be blind,” Dr. Strange says matter-of-factly. Tony rolls his eyes.

“The point is, that it was a big flash of light,” Tony continues, not bothering to hide his annoyance. “Then there she was.”

“Did you hear anything like a the sound of an aircraft carrier taking off?” Bucky asks, entering the conversation for the first time. Tony’s eyes go wide at the sound of Bucky’s voice.

“What?” Tony snaps.

“Jesus Christ, Tony,” Steve growls.

Bucky hangs his head and says nothing further.

“You two really need to move past this,” Natasha chides.

“Hello! He killed my parents. HE KILLED THEM, NAT!” Tony fires back. Nat looks over at Steve who is looking at his childhood friend.

“You know damn well he was under Hydra’s control, Tony,” Natasha states coldly.

“And that should make him being here better?” Tony retorts. Nat cracks her neck and says nothing more. This subject will continue to be a sore one until Tony can let go of the past.

“I believe the question he was asking before you had your tantrum, Stark, was did you hear anything before, during or after she arrived?” Dr. Strange asks when no one else speaks.

“Tantrum,” Tony mutters, biting his lip. “Yes. There was like a sonic boom right after the flash.”

Dr. Strange looks over at Bucky whose brow is furrowed.

“Hydra was testing shit, different ways to move around quickly, they were experimenting with portals of some kind…”

“Are you fucking kidding me? The Manhattan Project?” Tony demands. “For god’s sake…”

“Why not?” Sam says. “You know they were doing some crazy shit here in the States. Look at Steve. No offense, man.”

“None taken,” Steve says with a shrug. “Sam’s right. They were trying to use the Tesseract to power their weapons. Why would this be so far fetched?”

“Fine. Fine. Hydra pulled her through the gates of hell but why?” Tony asks.

“I doubt they did that intentionally,” Dr. Strange muses.

“Uh...guys,” Bruce cuts in, “she’s flipping out down in medical. As in they are going to sedate her.”

“Goddammit,” Tony grumbles heading to the door to go to medical. Bruce and Dr. Strange follow. Sam, Steve, Nat and Bucky linger.

“You really think this is a Hydra thing, Buck?” Steve asks.

“Maybe. I don’t know. There’s so much that’s...gone…” he trails off at the end, trying desperately to remember anything that may answer Steve’s question.

“Sounds like we should go take a look. I want to see the show before they sedate her,” Sam jokes. Steve shakes his head but he’s smirking. Bucky nods in agreement and they head to medical.


	5. Enter Confusion

“What. The. Fuck!” Chase yells angrily at the nurse trying to calm her down. “How the fuck did I get from bumfuck Pennsylvania to fucking goddamn New York City?!”

“You were in an accident. I’m assuming you drove,” the nurse replies haughtily. Chase glares at her.

“Really smartass? Are we fucking sure I didn’t fly?”

The nurse doesn’t respond to Chase’s antagonisms which only pisses Chase off more.

“How did I get here?” Chase asks slowly.  

“I told you-“

“You got pulled through a portal. Care to tell me who you are and why you’re being so belligerent to the staff?”

“Oh my fucking god,” Chase says staggering backwards when she sees the man addressing her.


	6. Reality Doesn't Quite Set In

Tony barely gets the question out of his mouth when their visitor is falling over herself backwards trying to get away from him.

“Easy! Easy!” he yells throwing his hands up in surrender.

“Miss, we aren’t going to hurt you,” Bruce says softly as he enters the room behind Tony.

“Oh...my….fucking….” Chase breaks off unable to complete her sentence. She’s in shock at what she’s seeing right now. Not so much what as _who_.

“What did you do to her, Tony?” Rhodey asks peering over Tony’s shoulder at the girl who has just fallen over on her butt and scooted back into the corner of the room, her mouth working trying to form more words.

“Why do you think I did this?” Tony demands looking briefly over his shoulder at Rhodey.

“When are you not involved in a woman reacting like this to you?” Rhodey responds with a slick grin. Bruce smirks, Tony shoots him a harsh look and Bruce quickly hides his grin.

“Ma’am,” Bruce says softly, “we aren’t going to hurt you-”

“What the fuck?! Fucking Stark? Tony goddamn Stark? Where the fuck am I?” Chase demands from her corner. Tony purses his lips and looks to Bruce then to Rhodey for some help.

“You’re in New York for starters,” Tony says as gently as possible when he gets no help from the other two.

“I’m going to be sick,” Chase says doubling over, the overwhelming need to purge her insides drawing closer and closer.

“Nurse!” Rhodey yells. Tony and Bruce slowly enter the room.

“Oh god, oh god,” Chase moans rocking back and forth. “Oh god what happened?”

“Easy, easy,” Bruce says kneeling next to her. Tony drops to a squat on the other side of Bruce and looks her over with a sad wonder.

“How are you here?” Chase asks, directing the question to Tony as tears start to stream from her eyes.

“I own the building?” Tony responds, not understanding the question.

“No. I can’t be here. I can’t. This...I’m dead. I died. You aren’t real. I’m in a coma. I’m a vegetable…” she rambles through her tears.

“You aren’t dead or in a coma,” Bruce assures her. “You are lucky based on the damage to your car.”

“Who the fuck are you?” she asks looking at Bruce for the first time.

“Is she okay?”

Bruce, Tony and Chase look up at the door. Standing next to Rhodey is Steve.

“Oh god,” Chase groans as she vomits on the floor. Tony barely jumps out of the way.

“Feel better? You made her vomit,” he snaps at Steve. Steve shakes his head tiredly at Tony.

“Is that…” Chase begins after she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.

“You should go,” Rhodey says calmly to Steve. “I think she’s got too much going on with Tony being in the room right now.”

“Not surprising,” Sam quips from around the corner of the door. Rhodey hides the smug smile but barely.  Steve peers around Rhodey once more to get a look at the girl. She’s clearly frightened out of her mind and thoroughly confused. He feels someone come up behind him. Steve glances over his shoulder to see Bucky trying to see around he and Rhodey into the room. Bucky catches a glimpse of the girl then backs down.

“Steve,” Rhodey says again, nodding his head towards Sam and Bucky.

“Yeah. Keep me posted on the outcome will ya?” Steve says giving Sam a gentle shove on the shoulder to get him to back away from the door. Bucky gives Sam a hard shove to move him, Sam glares at him and Steve places himself in between the two.

“Who was that?” Chase asks, her voice trembling. She’s still not entirely convinced she’s awake or not in a coma some place.

“That?” Bruce asks. “That was Steve Rogers.”

“Oh god,” she moans putting her head in her hands. “This isn’t real. This can’t be real.”

“What can’t be real? Rhodey get a damn nurse in here, will you?” Tony pleads.

“Nurse! NURSE!” Rhodey bellows from the doorway. Tony closes his eyes tightly for a moment as Rhodey yells. That’s not what he had in mind.

“What can’t be real?” Bruce repeats Tony’s question.

“This! Him! Rogers!” she cries looking from Bruce to Tony and back again.

“Why can’t I be real?” Tony asks. Bruce shakes his head no at the tone of his voice.

“You’re a goddamn figment of someone’s imagination! You’re a fucking comic book! So is Captain Fucking America!”

“I like that new name for him,” Tony says trying to joke. Bruce ignores him and focuses on what she said prior to renaming Steve.

“What do you mean we don’t exist? We’re right here…”

“Who the hell are you?” Chase asks turning her attentions to Bruce. She wasn’t asking in a mean way, more of an exasperated what the hell is going on way.

“I’m Bruce,” Bruce says absently. “Bruce Banner.”

“That’s it,” Chase says scooting away from the corner and trying to get up away from Bruce and Tony. “I can’t do this. If this is Hell or Purgatory or what the fuck ever somebody tell me right now because I’m about to lose my goddamn mind!”

“Hey! Easy! Easy!” Tony says reaching for her. She ducks his grasp and runs toward the door.

“Take it easy!” Bruce pleads also going after her.

“Rhodey! Catch her!” Tony barks as Chase makes a break for the door.

“Hey now! Take it easy,” Rhodey says gently as he blocks the doorway.

“I can’t be here!” Chase screams. “You don’t understand! You don’t exist! You’re comics! I want to wake up now! Please! Please! I want to wake up now….please….” Chase cries as she drops to her knees on the floor. “Please let me wake up,” she sobs through her tears. Rhodey reaches out to her but stops short, unsure of how to handle this girl. Tony and Bruce come up behind her, but it’s Tony who sits next to her on the floor. It’s Tony who puts his arm around her shoulders and pulls her close. It’s Tony who holds her while she cries into his chest as a nurse and a doctor finally come into the room.

“Where the hell is Strange?” Tony demands as the doctor tries to finagle Chase out of his arms.

“I’ll go see if I can find him,” Rhodey volunteers.

“Please let me wake up,” Chase begs, looking up at Tony, her eyes overflowing with tears. Bruce kneels next to Tony on the opposite side of the doctor.

“Mr. Stark, we can sedate her, calm her down, admit her,” the doctor begins in earnest.

“Listen to me,” Tony whispers to her, “you’re safe. Whatever you think is happening we can deal with when you calm down, but you have to calm down first. I promise we’ll get this shit figured out.”

Bruce runs his hand over her head, stroking her like a small child. He looks at Tony, clearly perplexed and upset at the outburst he’s been witness to.

“Mr. Stark,” the doctor says.

“Give me a damn minute,” Tony snaps. The doctor backs off and Tony takes a deep breath. “Get the sedatives.”

“Tony, are you sure this is the right thing to do?” Bruce asks.

“I’m open to other options to get her to calm down, Bruce,” Tony answers as Chase continues to sob hysterically in his arms.


	7. Let's Try This Again

Chase woke up several hours later convinced she’d suffered from the most lucid nightmare of her entire life. She blinks a few times trying to clear her blurred vision. When her vision clears she freezes. She’s in the same hospital room. The IV is still connected, but there’s significantly more bruising in that area now along with the bruising from before. Her head feels like it’s wrapped in thick wool, but she knows that wasn’t a dream. This is real.

“Oh no,” she gasps forcing herself to sit upright. She can feel her chest getting tighter as the panic starts to set in. This, in turn, sets off one of the alarms on the machines she’s hooked to. It’s only a matter of moments before a nurse comes charging into the room along with an overly muscled orderly. 

“Ma’am,” the nurse says gruffly, “I’m going to need you to stay calm.”


	8. Starting the Conversation

“She’s awake. Again,” Bruce announces. Tony looks up from his drink and over at Pepper. He gives her a warm smile.

“Are we going to try and reason with her this time?” Pepper asks taking a sip of her own drink.

“That’s the plan. Just me and Bruce this time. Rhodey is somewhere and Steve, Sam and the nut job are off doing who knows what.”

“The nut job has a name, Tony,” Pepper reminds him.

“So do roaches,” he says getting up and winking at her. Pepper shakes her head, but Tony sees she’s got a small smile on her face.

“Do we call Strange?” Bruce asks.

“Maybe you should since he seems to know about this portal business.”

“Buck had a theory about Hydra-” Bruce begins. Tony shoots him a look and Bruce puckers his lips and stops talking.

“Oh?” Pepper asks, genuinely intrigued.

“Manhattan Project shit,” Tony says quickly.

“Explain it to me later,” she says getting up and kissing him softly. Tony smiles and heads out with Bruce.

Tony calls the number Dr. Strange had left with them before he magically vanished back to wherever.

“She’s awake. Care to join us this time?” Tony says smartly. Bruce shakes his head at Tony’s divisive antics. He and Strange are both genius level eccentrics and while they respect each other, the animosity is always present.

Tony disconnects the call and cracks his neck.

“Hopefully she’s a little calmer now,” Bruce says thinking out loud.

“With the amount of shit they doped her up with I’m surprised she’s awake now.”

“She was hysterical, Tony.”

“I was there, Bruce. I remember,” Tony teases.

“I still can’t get over the whole comic book thing,” Bruce muses after a few moments. The elevator doors open to the medical wing and they step out.

“Mr. Stark. Mr. Banner,” a nurse greets them as they head towards Chase’s room.

“How is she?” Tony asks not stopping to talk.

“Calmer. Still confused, but much more sedate.”

“Good choice of words,” Bruce states. Tony chokes out a laugh. The nurse is not amused.

They walk into the room to see Chase sitting upright looking agitated but much, much calmer than she was before. She sees Tony and Bruce but says nothing, just looks at them.

“She’s still pretty sedated, Mr. Stark, but she’s coherent,” the doctor explains.

“She is sitting right here and would prefer you not speak about her like she’s a goddamn ghost,” Chase says tersely.

“You heard her,” Tony says with a grin. The doctor sighs heavily.

“You’re still pretty sedated, Miss. You’ve been rather combative.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Chase growls.

“Can you give us a few moments?” Bruce asks. The doctor nods and leaves the room.

“How are you feeling?” Tony asks, head tilted to the side looking at her.

“Like I’m stuck in a nightmare. I hurt,” she answers, holding up her arms and showing him the bruising. Tony and Bruce cringe.

“I’m guessing most of that is from when you crashed,” Bruce says gently taking one of her arms and turning it this way and that as delicately as he can to look at the bruising. Chase lets him, she doesn’t fight or argue.

“Let’s start with the basics, ok?” Tony says gently. “What is your name? You know who we are.”

Chase is quiet for a moment as Bruce starts to examine the other arm. She flinches when he gets too close to the IV.

“Sorry! Sorry,” he apologizes quickly. “They busted the vessel, looks like it was a small hematoma.”

“Bruce,” Tony says scratching at his cheek. Bruce looks up from his examination of Chase’s arms then steps back.

“Chase.”

“Good name,” Tony says with a grin.

“You really are an asshat,” Chase says impressed. Tony’s smile broadens. Bruce chuckles.

“Don’t encourage her,” Tony says playfully. Chase smiles, but only just.

“Do you remember anything?” Bruce asks taking up his arm examination again.

“I remember driving, getting struck by what I can only assume was lightning, and then waking up someplace I should not, under any circumstances, be.”

“Something pulled you here. No idea why or even how, but here you are, which leads me to my next question - if you’re still up to talking,” Tony says watching Chase look around the room for something.

“Can I have a drink at least before the interrogation begins?”

Tony laughs a bit.

“Sure, hardass. What would you like?”

“A bottle of Jack Daniels would be nice.”

“I don’t recommend you start downing drinks with all the sedatives in your system, Chase,” Bruce warns in a gentle, doctorly tone. Chase looks at him bemusedly. Tony is trying very hard to cover his smile with his hand.

“I was thinking more along the lines of water, soda, juice, you know something non-alcoholic,” Tony says.

“Pepsi if you’ve got it. Please.”

“Bruce,” Tony says making Bruce look up once more from Chase’s arms. “Do us a favor and track down some drinks, would ya?”

Bruce takes the hint, nods his head in agreement and heads toward the door. Tony catches his arm.

“Look for Dr. Weird, too,” he says before letting Bruce go.

“Will do.”

“Care to share your whispering bro conversation there, Mr. Stark?” Chase asks, clearly not amused at their little secret convo.

“Take it easy, Chase,” Tony says coming over to the bed. “I was telling him to keep an eye out for Dr. Strange.”

“Oh good, because you why the hell not add him into the mix.”

“Given what you told us earlier, I would think you’d know he’d be part of this,” Tony says sitting at the foot of the bed. Chase studies him.

“You’ve got me there, Mr. Stark.”

“Tony. Since we’re on a first name only basis with you.”

“Okay.”

Tony is quiet for a few moments contemplating on how to proceed with his next question and if he should wait for Bruce and Strange to be here.

“Tony,” Chase says when he says nothing to her. “Ask the goddamn question.”

“You want to wait till the other two get here or do you want to repeat yourself to them?” The question comes out a little more snarky than intended and Chase narrows her eyes and leans back more into the bed.

“I’ll wait till I get my drink. Maybe it’ll wake me the fuck up,” she growls. Her anger is the only thing keeping her from crying right now and she plans on holding onto it as long as she can.

“Chase, listen,” Tony begins, “I know you think you’re hallucinating or whatever, but you aren’t. You’re here, in Avengers Tower - formerly Stark Tower - and you’re safe. Anything beyond that…”

“Tony, I don’t belong here.” Chase says this slowly, enunciating each word for impact.

“I’m not arguing that. Especially since I saw your arrival. So did Pepper.”

“Pepper?” Chase asks showing some moderate surprise.

“Potts?”

Chase’s brow furrows as she tries to remember that name. She’s heard it, knows she’s somehow associated with Tony, but…

“Your girlfriend, right?” she asks after a moment. Tony cocks an eyebrow at her.

“Fiancée actually, but close enough.”

“How is this even possible?” Chase asks more to herself than to Tony.

“The working theory is Hydra is involved.”

“Not what I meant,” she says shaking her head. “Fucking Hydra?” she asks immediately after.

“Just regular Hydra, but yes.”

Chase rubs her temples. Her head is throbbing as she tries to digest what’s going on and where she is.

“Chase,” Tony says putting his hand on her leg and squeezing gently, “you’re going to be ok.”

“But you aren’t real, Tony,” she says opening her eyes and looking at him. “You aren’t supposed to be. None of you are. None of this is….” she breaks off as Bruce and Dr. Strange enter the room.


	9. I Just Want To Go Home

“So, as I’m understanding this, in your world we are fictional characters, the product of someone’s overactive imagination developed into comics, movies, TV shows and the like,” Dr. Strange muses.

“This is some existential crisis stuff,” Bruce says putting his hands behind his head and taking a deep breath.

“This explains why you’re so freaked the fuck out,” Tony says with a sigh.

“And one man is responsible for all of us?” Strange continues.

“Stan Lee. Yeah. How is this possible? You’re the portal hopping guru aren’t you?” Chase asks. Tony smirks.

“This wasn’t something just opening a portal would have accomplished easily,” Strange replies. “Possible, but not likely.”

“Hydra then?” Bruce asks.

“Tell me again what you saw,” Strange instructs.

“For the umpteenth time, all I saw was a flash of light, like a huge lightning strike. I took my hands off the wheel to shield my eyes and then BAM! I wake up here.”

“Which is what you saw when you were out on your run?” Strange continues, undeterred by her cynicism.  

“Yeah,” Tony retorts.

“I know there was a temporal disturbance, I felt it, but how you got here….we can assume it was Hydra, but there are other forces that may be at work here.”

“Do tell,” Tony states, his tone dry.

“Forces like what?” Bruce asks.

“Don’t you have a god on your team?”

“Thor,” Chase, Bruce and Tony say at once.

“It’s possible, given the lightning strike this was something inadvertently caused by he, or Odin or even Loki.”

“Loki,” Chase breathes in awe.

“Chase, no. He’s a nightmare. Don’t fangirl over that guy,” Tony warns. Bruce smiles at the adopted big brother tone Tony has taken with her.

“There’s a possibility something went awry with the Rainbow Bridge,” Dr. Strange continues. “Perhaps something to do with the Tesseract?”

“There’s a possibility,” Bruce states thoughtfully, “we don’t know anything about it other than it’s extremely powerful.”

“Who has it? And can it get me home?” Chase asks. Tony purses his lips.

“It’s not that easy. We don’t know how it works, much less where it is.”

“Can we find it? It can send me home. I want to go home, Tony,” Chase says full of hope.

“Chase, even if I knew where it was, what are the odds it sends you back to your world? We don’t know if it _was_ the Tesseract that sent you here and god knows what will happen if we try to use it to send you back,” Tony explains as he paces the room.

“He’s right,” Bruce concurs, “there’s so much about the Tesseract we don’t understand. It could kill you.”

“As opposed to staying in a world I don’t belong in? Without friends or family?” Chase counters.

“You would rather run the risk of landing in another universe completely hostile and different from this one or your own? You’re here for a reason, Chase. We don’t know why, but you’re here,” Strange responds.

“He’s right, loathe as I am to admit that,” Tony says. “You are safe here. If we can figure out how to get you home, Chase, we will.”

“It won’t be easy, if it’s even possible,” Strange states coldly, directing the comment to Tony.

“Great. We can at least give her some goddamn hope instead of being pricks, right?” Tony fires back. Chase watches the exchange like a tennis match. Bruce just shakes his head.

“I prefer to be a little more realistic with her, Stark. Don’t set her up to expect we can get her someplace we don’t even know where it is.”

“As opposed to just telling her she’s shit  out of luck and suck it up, buttercup? Your bedside manner sucks, you know that right?” Tony snaps.

“Is this normal?” Chase asks Bruce since they aren’t part of the conversation anymore.

“Usually,” Bruce says with a shrug as Strange and Tony continue to take shots at each other.

“Is there any chance…”

“Chase,” Bruce says softly.

“If there is, Chase,” Tony says picking up where Bruce dropped off, “we’ll find it. Don’t lose hope regardless of what he says,” Tony finishes, jabbing his thumb towards Dr. Strange. Strange rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

“Don’t get your hopes up, Chase. Be realistic. We don’t know how you got here, the likelihood we’ll be able to get you back are very slim,” Strange explains. “I need to tend to some things, but, I will see if I can find anything out on your situation,” he says as he opens a portal. He looks back at them once before vanishing into the portal.

“I hate when he does that,” Tony gripes. “Showoff.”

Chase sighs heavily.

“I just want to go home,” she whispers. Tony pats her leg.

“And we’ll do what we can to make that happen. But, for now, this will be your home. We’ll get you set up in one of the apartments, and I’ll introduce you to Pepper and you two can go shopping for whatever….”

“Tony,” Bruce interjects. Tony stops talking and looks at Chase who’s on the bed crying. He slides up next to her and puts his arm around her again. Bruce takes her hand and pats it.

“We got this,” Tony promises her. “You’ll like Pepper. You’ll see.”

 


	10. What Do We Know?

“So what did we find out about her?” Steve asks as soon as Bruce walks into the lounge area.

“Well…” Bruce begins, hesitant to explain anything or even try given the circumstances and how much Chase knows. He’s still sufficiently freaked out about her knowledge and has a genuine concern that the others may be as well. 

“Let’s just go with she’s from a different universe and leave it at that for now,” Tony says entering the room and saving Bruce. 

“But you know more than you’re willing to let on to,” Steve persists, knowing full well this is the truth.

“We’re still trying to digest what she told us, Rogers. It’s a fucking head trip. Don’t badger her,” Tony warns. Steve eyes Tony for a moment then lets it go. There’s no point in pushing the issue, Tony will just fight him on it that much more. 

“Is she staying here in the tower?” Sam asks. 

“Yes. She’s safe with us.”

“Where is she now?” Rhodey asks.

“With Pepper. I sent them shopping. She needs to get out and get some air and acclimate to being here,” Tony says casually.

“She needs clothes,” Bruce says with a laugh. 

“That too,” Tony shrugs.


	11. Shopping

Happy pulls up to the curb and gets out to open the door for Pepper and Chase.

“Thanks,” they say as they get out. Happy nods and gets back into the car.

“Pick a direction, Chase. We’ve got an entire wardrobe to build for you and Tony wants you to look decent,” Pepper says with a small jest.

“Decent,” Chase repeats. “So no leather catsuits or full latex bodysuits I guess.”

Pepper stops in her tracks and looks at Chase in surprise. Chase gives her a small, playful smile to show she’s just being silly. Pepper gets the joke and laughs a little.

“You’ve got his twisted sense of humor. That’s frightening,” she teases.

“Oh god, Pepp, I’m so sorry,” Chase says genuinely. Pepper laughs more.

“It’s alright. If nothing else it’ll be entertaining to watch you two take pot shots at each other without being mean and hateful about it.”

“There’s that I guess,” Chase shrugs. “Decent. Define decent, Pepp. I’m a jeans and t-shirts girl. Sneakers, not heels.”

“I think,” Pepper says looking down the street, “that we can do both. Come on,” Pepper says leading Chase down the sidewalk.

Pepper guides Chase into one of the many stores along the row. It’s a very upscale clothier.

“Oh shit,” Chase groans.

“Oh, stop. We’ll do decent first then your jeans and things after,” Pepper promises. “Besides, you may find you like the dress clothes.”

“You have way too much faith in me, Pepp,” Chase says looking at the price tag on a pair of dress slacks. She cringes when she sees it.

“Tony’s got this. Relax,” she whispers to her as a clerk approaches them.

“You can bankrupt a man shopping in here,” Chase says a little louder than she intended. The clerk hears this and looks visibly put off.

“How can I help you... _ladies_ ,” the clerk asks, eyeballing Chase. Chase tilts her head and smiles sarcastically. Pepper shakes her head no at Chase and Chase goes back to looking at overpriced pants.

“I’d like to get her fitted for some dress suits and some shirts,” Pepper explains.

“I see. Does she have a preference of color?”

“Black,” Chase answers.

“We can negotiate that,” Pepper says in return. The clerk shoots Chase a look then bustles off to get a measuring tape.

“I don’t do pastels. I’m not the Easter Bunny, Pepp.”

“I never said anything about pastels, Chase,” Pepper says pulling a pair of pants from a rack and looking them over, “but you don’t have to look like you’re going to funeral either.”

“Touche.”

The clerk comes back with the tape measure.

“I think the fitting area would be best served to measure you.”

“What exactly do you plan on measuring?” Chase asks suspiciously. The clerk puckers her lips in exasperation.

“You’ve never been fitted for anything?” Pepper asks gently.

“Yeah, no. Hoity toity shit isn’t my thing, Pepp. Go to Target, get some dress pants and a nice top for whatever, then stash it in the closet till I need it again,” Chase explains.

“Hoity toity,” Pepper repeats and laughs a little. “This isn’t for those kind of things, Chase. More for being presentable for say visiting diplomats or someone else of importance that you may come in contact with.”

“Hiding in the apartment till they’re gone isn’t an option?” Chase asks in seriousness.  Pepper studies her for a moment.

“Let’s just get some clothes on the off chance I can convince you to join us,” Pepper says trying to compromise.

“Sure,” Chase says giving in.

“Shall we go to the fitting room?” the clerk asks.

“Yes,” Pepper answers before Chase can respond with a snarky comment. The clerk leads them to the fitting rooms, passing through aisles of clothing. Pepper watches Chase to see if anything catches her eye. Chase is just overwhelmed at the clothes and the prices in general.

“I’ll need you to take off the shirt and pants so I can get proper measurements,” the clerk instructs. Chase is more than a little unnerved by this and looks to Pepper for confirmation this needs to happen.

“It’s fine. We do this once and hopefully we won’t need to again, okay?” Pepper says. Chase heaves a sigh and steps into the fitting room and shuts the door.

“Ready,” Chase calls out pissily.

“Good,” the clerk snarks back.

“Oh god,” Pepper groans. The clerk opens the dressing room door and steps in. Pepper waits for what she fears is the inevitable arguing between the two to start.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” the clerk says stepping out of the fitting  room with the tape a few minutes later. There’s a low growl from the fitting room where Chase still is.

“Chase,” Pepper beckons.

“Yeah,” she says stepping out of the fitting room fully clothed again. Pepper gives her a friendly smile.

“If you’ll follow me, I have some suggestions that may suite our friend here,” the clerk says in a much nicer tone. The scent of commission hanging in the air has clearly brightened her attitude. Pepper motions for Chase to follow the much happier clerk. Chase rolls her eyes and does so.

The clerk pulls piles of clothing from the racks around the store and carries them to a set of mirrors with chairs in front of them where Pepper and Chase look at the items and hold them up inspecting how they look against Chase.

Chase is insistent on dark colors, Pepper wants her to brighten up with some other colors and the clerk tries to compromise between the two of them to make sure she gets the sale. In the end they settle on three pairs of dress pants, two black, one heather gray and four dress shirts in varying colors from charcoal gray to the palest of lavenders. Pepper pays the clerk, hands the bags to Chase and they exit the store.

“Where to next?” Pepper asks.

“Jeans.”

“How about some bras and panties?”

“Also a good idea.”

“We’ll do that, grab lunch, get some other _fancy_ clothes then get your jeans and t-shirt and sneaker collection started. Fair?” Pepper bargains. Chase considers this.

“We don’t have enough fancies yet? Are you serious?”

“I’m thinking more along the lines a cocktail dress or two.”

“Sweet Jesus,” Chase mutters.

“Humor me,” Pepper laughs guiding Chase to another store.

They get Chase set up with designer bras and panties and even socks, even with Chase’s constant fussing about the cost and questioning why everything is so ‘ _goddamn expensive’_.

They move onto the next store where Pepper coerces Chase into getting more dress pants and tops before taking her to lunch at a local shawarma place. Chase is so hungry she devours her food like a rabid wolf.

“When was the last time you ate?” Pepper asks worriedly.

“Day and a half ago? I think?” Chase says after thinking about this for a few moments.

“We’ll go grocery shopping when we’re finished clothes shopping. You’re ravenous. It’s frightening,” Pepper teases. Chase blinks at her.

“Sorry?”

“Don’t be. We’re going to go dress shopping next.”

“For fuck’s sake.”

“You’ll love it.”

“You underestimate my loathing of dresses.”

Pepper laughs and they head to the next store to try on dresses.

Pepper pulls the most fashionable ones she would wear. Chase is clearly irritated by everything in the store until she sees something in the back that catches her eye.

“That’s an old floor display. We no longer carry that dress,” the salesperson says apologetically. Chase is enamoured with the dress, though. It’s hunter green and a throwback to the glam days of the 40s. Pepper realizes this is going to be the only thing in this store Chase chooses willingly.

“Can she try it on?” Pepper asks the salesperson as Chase continues to look over the dress.

“Let me get my manager,” the salesperson says hurrying off. Pepper walks up beside Chase and smiles.

“You would pick the one thing that is no longer available,” she plays.

“But, Pepper, it’s so beautiful,” Chase replies holding up one of the sleeves. The dress is made of soft, crushed velvet. Pepper is impressed at Chase’s liking of this dress.

The manager and the salesperson appear in a few moments.

“I understand you’re interested in trying on this dress?” the manager asks cordially.

“Yes, if we could, please,” Pepper answers.

“Of course,” he says motioning to the salesperson to pull the dress from the mannequin. “It was part of our vintage collection and the last one we have,” he explains as the salesperson finishes pulling the dress off of the mannequin. He hands it to Pepper who hands it to Chase who lights up like a Christmas Tree.

“The fitting room is this way,” the salesperson says guiding Chase to the fitting room.

Pepper, the salesperson and the manager wait patiently for Chase to come out.

“Somebody want to zip me?” Chase calls. The salesperson steps up, opens the door and steps in then steps out a second later smiling.

“Chase?” Pepper calls, looking at the salesperson quizzically. Chase steps out in the dress and Pepper is more than a little impressed. The dress fits and it looks amazing on Chase.

“You picked a winner,” Pepper says pleased. “We’ll take it.”

“Very good!” the manager yelps merrily. “Ring them up, make sure to box that dress correctly,” he instructs. The salesperson nods and takes Chase back to the fitting room to help her out of the dress. The salesperson comes out first with the dress and heads to the counter. Chase comes out next, smiling like a kid.

“I have to say I’m really surprised by this,” Pepper admits.

“It’s beautiful, Pepp. I love it.”

“I’m getting you another dress,” Pepper says testing to see how Chase will respond.

“No prom gowns or wedding dresses.”

“Not my intention,” Pepper promises as she heads toward a rack. She pulls a long black dress with rhinestones along the collar and takes Chase to the counter to pay for their prizes.

Pepper pays for the items and they move on to get Chase her jeans and other regular clothes she’s been demanding since they headed out.

 


	12. Potential Risk?

“Are they still out?” Rhodey asks watching Tony toy with one of the armor suits.

“Yup.”

“Alone?”

“Happy is with them.”

“And you’re okay with leaving a girl from another universe alone with your fiancee and your chauffeur?” Rhodey persists.

“Shouldn’t I be? What the hell is she going to do? Tell Pepper I’m an asshole? I think I’ve established that with Pepper already, Rhodey.”

“Aside from that obvious fact, Tony, we don’t know anything about her. She could be an assassin. A sleeper agent-”

“Doubt it. She would have escaped the medical compound if she was any kind of anything other than a scared girl with a potty mouth.”

“And if she is something more?”

“Rhodey, she isn’t. You weren’t in the room with Bruce and I the first time or even when Dr. Oddball was with us the second time. She doesn’t give off the vibe that she’s anything more than she appears to be and she wants to go home. That’s her schtick. Home. She doesn't give a shit how, she just wants to go home. Does that sound like someone with a hidden agenda to you?”

“The fact that she has inside information on some - if not most - of us is disconcerting enough, Tony. She also knows about the Tesseract,” Rhodey continues.

“She does,” Tony agrees. “But in her world we don’t exist, Rhodey. We’re figments of some old man’s wild imagination.”

“And you believe that story, too?”

Tony puts down the gauntlet piece and looks evenly at Rhodey.

“I saw her arrival, Rhodey. She didn’t just show up here at the tower under the guise of having been pulled through another dimension. I saw her appear from thin air. She described the same exact flash of lightning Pepper and I saw before she appeared. It scared her so much she took her hands off the wheel of her car, which, may I remind you, ended up being severely wrecked, nearly breaking her sternum, severely bruising her arms and chest wall and knocking her out cold. Even Dr. Kook said he felt a disturbance in the force about the time she showed up. What more do you want?”

“I just think you should play this a little safer, Tony. Keep her under surveillance. What happens if someone gets a hold of her? Will she spill her guts to them about what she knows about us? I know you say she doesn’t know much of anything, but she knows enough. She’s a potential security risk,” Rhodey explains. Tony sighs heavily.

“Yeah, alright,” Tony concedes. “I’ll call them and have them come back as soon as possible or we’ll go get them.”

“We?” Rhodey questions.

“This was your suggestion. Who am I going to send? Rogers? Wilson?”

“Send Nat or Buck-”

“I will NOT send that goddamn fruitloop to get my fiance or this girl. God knows what the fuck he’ll do.”

“He’s been rehabilitated, Tony. You know this. T’Challa and Shuri have confirmed this with you as well as Steve. He didn’t do this shit because he wanted to. He was forced to. They broke him down till he couldn’t think on his own-”

“And we really believe he’s all better now?” Tony snaps.

“Are we supposed to really believe she’s not a threat?” Rhodey counters.


	13. Not To Worry You, But....

“Okay. Okay. We’re out front of Neiman Marcus, Tony,” Pepper says into the phone. Chase can tell by the look on Pepper’s face that something has happened or is going to. Pepper disconnects the call and puts the phone back in her bag.

“What happened?” Chase asks immediately.

“Tony is worried about us being out alone.”

“And what changed between the time we left and now?” Chase asks perplexed by the new development.

“It could be anything,” Pepper says trying to brush this off, but Chase can hear the concern in her voice.

“He’s on his way now?”

“He and Steve both.”

Chase is visibly shaken by this.

“He’s bringing Cap?”

“We’ll be alright, Chase,” Pepper says trying to assuage her fear.  “It’s just a precautionary measure. With him being who he is and doing what they do…”

Chase isn’t buying it. She knows something had to have come up to set Tony off that he’d bring Cap along for the ride to collect them and that scares her. This shit didn’t happen to her at home. She didn’t have to worry about covert agencies or spies or villians bent on world domination - at least not to the extent that she would care one way or the other. But this world was not home, it was full of mischief and mayhem and she was thrown into it head first. Tony had enemies. Cap, Thor, Bruce, Natasha, Bucky - they all had enemies. Bucky especially had his own share of issues after all the shit with being a Winter Soldier and then being blamed for things he didn’t do and trying to get his shit straight and the people that may be after him still.

She was starting to wish she hadn’t been so into the goddamn movies in her world about the Avengers and Captain America and subsequently James Buchanan Barnes. She was starting to wish she’d never heard of any of them, never gotten into the Marvel Universe at all, never even heard of the goddamn comics. She wished she’d never heard of any of this and that she was home safe and alone.

 


	14. Asking A Favor

“I have a favor to ask of you,” Tony says walking into the gym where Steve and Bucky were punching the shit out of the heavyweight bags. 

“Me?” Steve asked wiping his brow. Tony gives him a harsh look.

“Obviously you,” Bucky mumbles thumping the bag again.

“Pepper and Chase are out shopping. Rhodey made an... _observation_ of sorts. I need to get them and want you to come along just in case.”

“Who the hell is Chase?” Steve asks.

“The girl.”

Bucky stops punching the bag and listens. Tony doesn’t come to Steve for much of anything so this must be something special.

“You’re expecting trouble with her?”

“No, but that doesn’t stop the paranoia Rhodey set loose,” Tony explains quickly. Steve nods. Tony won’t go into much more detail than this. Not in front of Bucky at least. 

“Yeah. Do I have time to clean up?”

“No.”

“Just go, punk. Clean up when you get back. No one gives a shit how bad you smell,” Bucky teases. Tony shakes his head in disgust at the sound of Bucky’s voice. 

“You’re a jerk,” Steve says throwing his sweaty towel at Bucky who catches it and tosses it aside. 

“Jesus Christ, do you two need a moment to kiss goodbye or can we go?” Tony barks. Bucky shakes his head and walks toward the locker room. Steve glares at Tony.

“Done?”

“Let’s just go,” Tony says hastily. 


	15. Can You Tell Me What's Going On Or Nah?

Tony and Steve pull up to the curb in front of Neiman Marcus and Tony jumps out before Steve can get the SUV into park. He sees Happy and Pepper chatting in front of the store window, but there is no sign of Chase. Pepper doesn't look concerned, so Tony has to assume Chase is somewhere in the vicinity. At least he hopes that’s the case.

Steve gets out and follows Tony to Pepper and Happy.    


“Hey! " Tony says kissing Pepper on the lips. "Are you okay?"    


"We are. Chase... she’s more than a little freaked out right now, Tony, " Pepper explains.    


"Where is she? " Tony asks looking up and down the street.   


"Inside. I had her go in the store in hopes she'd relax a little. She's been sitting in that chair fidgeting with the bags and looking at the floor,” Pepper explains looking over her shoulder and into the store window. Tony follows her gaze and sees Chase, her head low, opening and closing one of the bags she has repeatedly. 

“Shit,” Tony growls heading inside to collect Chase.

“Any chance you can tell me what’s going on with her?” Steve asks when Tony is inside.

“Hi, Steve. And not really,” Pepper says quickly.

“No?”

“It’s all second hand information I would be giving you. I know you want answers, Steve, but Tony or Bruce or Dr. Strange are the ones you want to talk to. Or, if Tony lets you within earshot of Chase, you can ask her,” Pepper says with a hint of cynicism. 

“Nothing from you Happy?” Steve jests. Happy just smiles professionally.

“I just drive, Captain Rogers.”

Steve chuckles. 

“Bruce was a no go the last time and Dr. Strange….”

“He’s as eccentric as Tony,” Pepper finishes Steve’s thought for him with a sweet smile. “I can’t offer anything more than what I have, Steve.”

“I know, Pepper. Thanks,” Steve says as he peers in the window at Chase and Tony. Tony is sitting in a chair across from Chase talking to her, every now and again giving her a small smile or tilting his head trying to get her to look at him. Steve is more than a little impressed by Tony’s sudden humanity towards others. First the kid, Peter and now this girl. 

“How’s Bucky doing?” Pepper asks pulling Steve from his thoughts. 

“Still on the guilt trip. Still trying to piece his life back together. Still doesn’t sleep for shit and he’s a moody shithead.”

“I think you’re the only one that sees that, Steve,” Pepper says with a laugh.

“Sad, but true,” Steve admits. “He doesn’t come out of that shell for much of anyone else. Not even Nat.”

“He needs a good woman,” Happy adds, throwing in his two cents for the first time. Steve looks at him in wonder at the sudden offering of advice.

“He’s right,” Pepper agrees. “Get him a good girl and she may get him to be more like himself. He just needs a little love.”

“Nothing some good old fashioned TLC and pretty lips can’t fix,” Happy chuckles. Steve laughs. 

“Easier said than done, you two. I tried to get Sharon to go out with him, she basically threatened to shoot my balls off for suggesting it….”

“He put her through a table if I remember Tony’s telling of that tale correctly,” Pepper says in Sharon’s defense.

“Zemo had put him into Winter Soldier mode, Pepper. He couldn’t help what he did,” Steve says taking the defensive for Bucky. Pepper gives him a gentle smile.

“I know, but that’s her reasoning, Steve,” Pepper explains.

“I know,” Steve grumbles.

“No one else in the building has caught his eye? Male, female?” Pepper asks.

Steve scrunches his face at the thought of Bucky chasing a dude. Bucky’s always been a ladies man, but what the hell, things change.

“Not so that I’ve noticed one way or another,” Steve admits after a few moments thinking about that.

“Outside the building? Pretty girl at a restaurant? Hot chick on the corner?” Happy asks.

“Happy!” Pepper scolds. “Don’t tell Steve to get him a hooker!”


	16. Come Collect The Girls

“I know you’re freaked out, Chase, and, yeah, I could have handled Rhodey’s paranoia better, but it’s good. There’s no immediate threat, you and Pepper are safe and I brought Steve along for shits and giggles I guess,” Tony says still trying to soothe Chase. 

“This is so fucking stupid and just wrong,” she mutters to the floor. “You and I both know you didn’t bring El Capitano along for shits and giggles, either.”

“I’m going to start writing down these names you keep giving him,” Tony jokes. Chase looks up finally, her gaze cold and stoney. Tony sighs and Chase goes back to looking at the floor. 

“The truth is Rhodey put a bug in my ear and I couldn’t ignore it. You, regardless of what either of us think or believe, are a liability to the team with your knowledge. I didn’t think it through when I had Pepper drag you from the tower. It never occurred to me that I’d be putting her or you in danger. That’s why I brought El Capitano along. Extra muscle just on the off chance...you know…”

Chase looks up again from the floor. Tony sits back in the chair. Her eyes are full of pain and longing. She doesn’t want to be here. She doesn’t want any part of their world. She wants to go  home. 

Tony sees Happy coming around the corner and cups his face in his hands, staring at Chase. 

“You want to go home, Chase?”

“Got a one way ticket there, Starky?”

“I meant the tower, kiddo.”

“Yeah. I know,” she says quietly. 

“Would you like me to take Miss Potts back to the tower, Sir?” Happy asks as soon as he’s within distance of Tony. 

“Yeah. Tell her I’ll be there soon. Have her pick someplace for dinner tonight for the three of us-”

“There will only be two dining, Happy,” Chase cuts in. “Miss Potts and Mister Stark will be alone, there will be no third person.”

Happy puckers his lips and looks from Tony to Chase and back again.

“Do you plan on eating tonight?”

“Not really in the mood.”

“This self pity shit needs to stop. Seriously,” Tony growls. 

“Sorry to dampen your mood, kind sir, but I seem to have misplaced my good humours when I WAS FUCKING DUMPED IN YOUR GODDAMN WORLD!” she snarls. People entering the store turn to look and then hurry past them.  Tony eyes her calmly. 

“Will you think about ordering something , for fuck’s sake?” he asks in a sort of playful, sort of antagonistic tone. 

“Like what?” she grumbles.

“I don’t fucking care. Eat a goddamn box of cannolis, just make sure you eat.”

Chase tries hard to stay pissed off, but Tony barking about eating a goddamn box of cannolis wins her over and she chokes on her own laughter. Tony nods his head and grins. 

“Still friends, kiddo?” he asks. She looks up, the smile still on her face from his cannoli line.

“Yeah, still friends, Starky.”

“Take Pepper back, Happy. We’ll meet you there,” Tony orders. Happy dips his head in respect then exits the building to collect Pepper and the shopping extravaganza. 

Chase rounds up the half dozen bags at her feet when Steve walks up next to Tony. She stops and her lips pucker at the sight of him. He’s built. Tony’s built, but Steve is like  _ Jesus Christ on a crutch you ate your wheaties  _ built. And he’s handsome, just like the fucker who plays him in the movies. Light brown hair, strong jaw line, pecs and biceps and ab muscles and…

“Stop looking at him like he’s a goddamn steak. I told you to order something if you were hungry,” Tony snaps. Chase looks at Tony and smiles coyly. 

“Not in the mood for sausage tonight,” she replies candidly. Tony stops fussing with the bags and looks up at Chase in bewilderment, Steve makes an O face and Chase walks out of the building while the two of them follow trying to regroup their thoughts. The three of them pile into the SUV, the boys up front, Chase in one of the back seats. Tony is still trying to come up with something to say in return to her sausage comment, but nothing seems to come to mind and Steve is silently laughing at the fact this girl just shut Stark down with her own brand of sass.


	17. Stop Laughing

Pepper and Happy are waiting in the sitting area with the dozen or so bags of items that she and Chase purchased today when Steve, Tony and Chase walk in. 

“I said take her shopping, Pepper, not buy the entire block,” Tony quips seeing all the bags between Pepper and Happy.

“She needed clothes and you’re the one who told me to make sure she looks decent,” Pepper fires back.

“For the amount of money she spent on me to look decent you could have built a fucking replica of me and trained it to have better manners,” Chase adds. 

“Alright, smartass, that’s enough out of you,” Tony chides looking at Chase. He’s smiling when he says it and she knows he’s just fucking with her. Steve is smirking because this girl is a pistol and she dishes it right back to Tony. 

“I can’t carry all this shit in one trip,” Chase says looking at all the bags. 

“I’ll help,” Steve volunteers. Chase looks up at him wide eyed and blinks a few times.

“Nope. We’re good. Thanks for coming along for the ride, Rogers,” Tony says hurriedly. 

“Tony,” Pepper sighs exasperatedly. 

“You drug him out of what I’m guessing was a gym session based on the attire, and now you’re chasing him off when he’s offering to help. Seems a little offhanded, Starky,” Chase remarks, keeping the snark out of her voice. 

“He’s taken, first of all,” Tony retorts, “and secondly, sure, Rogers, if you want to help her carry her booty to her apartment-”

Chase bursts out laughing. Tony realizes what he’s just told Steve to do and starts muttering curses. Pepper and Happy are chuckling and Steve is smiling wickedly. 

“Goddammit. Just help her get her shit up there,” Tony grouses. “And you,” he says turning to Chase and wagging a finger at her, “he’s dating Black Widow. Don’t do anything stupid that will get you killed. Capeesh?” 

Steve looks from Tony to Chase in astonishment. Not just that Tony would so haphazardly throw out Nat’s codename but the fact that Chase would know who the hell that is. 

“Tony,” Pepper says gently, “if you plan on keeping her a secret, you may want to shut up now.”

“Shit,” he grumbles. “Forget everything I just said, Rogers.”

“Based on the look on his face, Starky, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Chase tells him. 

“She knows about us?” Steve finally manages to ask.

“Eh…” Tony mutters.

“Sort of?” Chase offers apologetically. 

“Goddammit you two,” Steve gripes.

“He’s going to find out one way or another,” Pepper states calmly. “Does he hear it from you or does he hear it from Chase?”

Tony looks at Chase to gauge what she’s thinking. She looks to him and shrugs.

“You told me not to tell anyone.”

“I did,” Tony admits, “but there’s good reason for that. Bruce is still having an existential crisis of sorts.”

“Over what?” Steve demands.

“Should we order in?” Pepper asks.

“Whatever we say doesn’t leave this room, Rogers. I can’t impress that enough on you,” Tony states firmly.

“You don’t trust me or you don’t trust everyone else?” Steve counters.

“You can decide that when you hear what’s going on,” Tony responds. “What do you want to eat, Pepper? Thai?”

“We did that last night. Italian?”

“Not really feeling the pasta thing, no.”

“Jesus Christ, get pizza,” Chase grouses, plopping down into one of the overstuffed chairs. 

“Pizza it is,” Pepper laughs. “Well, is that okay with you and Happy, Steve?” Pepper adds.

“If it means I can get some damn answers I’ll eat anything.”

Chase puckers her lips and bites her tongue. Tony shakes his head no at her as a warning.

“The two of you are insanely alike personality wise,” Pepper titters. Chase unpuckers her lips and gives Pepper a none-to-pleased look.

“I don’t know which one of us she’s insulting,” Tony says thinking this over.

“Knock it off,” Pepper scolds as she calls out for their dinner. 

“Aside from the fact that you two share very similar personalities,” Steve begins, “can we get to the story at hand here?”   


“Think maybe you should tell Nat where you are first?” Tony asks.

“She’s with Clint somewhere near Bucharest.”

“Budapest?” Chase asks wondering if that’s what Steve meant since that was part of a line from one of the movies. She immediately regrets saying anything.

“No, dollface, Bucharest.”

“Dollface?” she repeats. “That’s a new one. Usually I get bitch or twatwaffle-”

“Jesus, Chase!” Pepper yells, covering the receiver of the phone with her hand. Tony is trying not to laugh at her antics but can’t help himself.

“You’re not serious are you?” Steve asks sounding offended.

“Twatwaffle,” Tony spits as he finally cracks up laughing. Happy has his head down, body shaking as he laughs to himself. Pepper is now yelling their order into the phone because she can’t hear over Tony’s raucous laughter. Chase is giggling because Tony is losing his shit and Pepper is getting aggravated. 

“And no, Steve, I’m not entirely serious,” she says when Steve drops heavily into one of the other chairs and glares at Tony. 

“No?”

“No. Cuntcake is one I hear a lot, though.”

Tony gets up and walks away still laughing hysterically. Happy snorts then goes back to shaking in his seat. Pepper is biting her lip watching Tony laughing himself stupid at the bar and then looking at Steve who’s trying to decide if Chase is serious or an asshole like Tony. Then there’s Chase who is candidly studying Steve to see what other buttons she may be able to push, because one Tony Stark personality isn’t enough in this building we have to have two.

“Alright, smartass,” Steve grumbles, but then he cracks a grin when he sees Chase start to laugh and he catches Happy still shaking from laughing quietly in his seat. 

 


	18. Tell Me Your Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter so far

Pepper finally gets the order placed and Tony is slowly starting to unwind from his laughing fit. Happy has finally settled down and is sitting quietly in his seat. 

“Care to tell me how you know Nat, Chase?” Steve asks in as calm of a tone as possible. Chase looks to Tony who’s fixing drinks at the bar.

“You sure you want to do this, Cap?” Chase replies. “Bruce is….he’s having some issues wrapping his brain around this shit.”

“This is true,” Tony concurs as he walks over and hands Chase a drink. He hands the other one he made to Pepper then goes back to the bar. “What’s your poison tonight, Rogers?”

“Scotch.”

“You just drink it for the taste? It doesn’t actually do anything for you, right?” Chase asks. Steve leans back in the chair and measures her up, trying to decide if she is actually a threat or not now. 

“What makes you say that?” he counters. Chase sighs deeply and takes a sip of her drink. Tony made it stupidly strong and it tastes like turpentine, but it’ll numb her feelings and as far as she’s concerned right now, that’s a good thing. 

Tony comes back around and hands Steve a glass of Scotch with no ice and then he takes a seat next to Pepper on the couch with his own drink.

“Go on, Chase,” Tony urges, then takes a sip of his drink. 

“I say that because I’m guessing. Because what I know about you and Tony and Clint and Nat may or may not be true or correct or even have happened.”

“Not just us,” Tony adds. “Her forte is actually those who tend to reside at Graymalkin Lane.”

“Why do I know that address?” Steve questions, looking into the Scotch for an answer.

“It’s the home of on Charles Frances Xavier and the school for gifted students,” Chase answers. She takes a long sip of her turpentine flavored drink, shudders and continues. 

“Mutants. Like Wanda and her brother Pietro.”

Steve nearly drops the glass on the floor this time.

“How the fuck….Who  _ are _ you?!” he demands.

Chase is silent. 

“Easy Rogers,” Tony says defensively. “She’s not from our plane of existence as Dr. Kook put it.”

“What the hell does that mean, Stark?”

“It means, Steven Rogers, that I’m from a universe where you fuckers are nothing more than fictional characters in a comic book,” Chase states blandly. 

“Wait a goddamn minute,” Steve says closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re telling me that you’re from a what? Alternate universe where we don’t exist?”

“Yeah, that’s the gist of what she’s saying, Rogers,” Tony answers. Pepper nudges him with her elbow.

Steve shakes his head in disbelief.

“That...this is a little more far fetched than I would have given either of you credit for,” Steve says looking from Chase to Tony. Chase takes another drink and then a deep breath.

“Alright, Cap, no more bullshit. Tony’s telling you the truth. I was driving home, my car got struck by a lightning bolt from Hell. I took my hands off the wheel and I ended up crashing and waking up here. In your world. Where I proceeded to flip shit the moment I saw Starky because in my world he’s a fucking comic book superhero-genius-chauvinistic-alcoholic-pig and in the movies he’s more like the guy sitting on the couch next to Pepper. In the movies, which, by the way is how you all ended up on EVERYONE'S radar in my world, it started with Ironman. Then they did Captain America, The First Avenger. I didn’t watch Ironman, I didn’t give two shits. I wanted anything to do with mutants. But I digress, that’s not what you want to hear,” Chase conveys before taking another long sip of the turpentine and wincing at the taste.

“Too strong?” Tony asks. 

“Tastes like turpentine and jolly ranchers,” Chase answers. Steve is still digesting the first bit of information as he takes a pull of his own drink.

“Go on,” he says at last. “Tell me more.”

“So, Captain America comes out. Guy that plays you looks very similar to you. Best way to get the female populace to watch an action flick is to throw eye candy on the screen and sure as shit you are eye candy, Cap.”

“Jesus Christ,” Tony grumbles. “Moving on.”

“Still no interest in the movies on my end. Don’t care. I know who Captain Fucking America is. Big goddamn deal. He’s a World War two super hero. He’s pumped up on some kind of shit that the Army gave him to make him extra special at fighting. He’s got a star spangled shield. Don’t fucking care. The only thing that remotely intrigued me about you, Cap, was the fact that, in my world, there’s canon that says you fought in the war with one of my favorite characters.”

“Bucky?” Steve asks sounding unintentionally stupid.

“He’s here, too?” Chase asks wild eyed with awe.

“Stop,” Tony barks. “Go back to the original conversation. Forget Barnes for the moment.”

“Tony,” Chase says solemnly, “you and I are going to sit down and have a long talk about this shit between you and Buck.”

“What do you know about Bucky, Chase?” Steve demands, his agitation showing now. Chase recoils and says nothing.

“Back it up, Rogers,” Tony warns. “You wanted answers, let her finish.”

Steve sits back and regroups.

“I’m sorry, Chase. Bucky...he’s…”

“We’ll come to him later. You served, possibly, with one James Howlett. Or possibly he  went by the name of Logan.”

“Logan? You’re kidding me.”

“He’s a mutant, Cap. He’s the reason I got into the whole Marvel universe comic book thing to start with. It just progressed from there. He’s the only reason I had an inkling of an idea of who the hell you were at the time. And I still didn't’ give a shit. So, the movies come out, everyone is raving, the new thing is the MCU - Marvel Cinematic Universe - and how they’re bringing the comics to life now. Another Ironman film comes out or maybe two,” she says glancing at Tony. “Sorry, Starky, I can’t keep track of the timelines.”

“S’alright,” he shrugs. “Keep going.”

“So, the first movie comes out, whooptie do. Then the Avengers movie comes out. A friend of mine takes me hostage and forces me to watch this. We meet Natasha and Bruce and Clint and Thor. Agent Coulson, Nick Fury, Maria Hill and the very charming and handsome Loki.”   


“What did I tell you about fangirling over that egomaniac?” Tony warns. 

“I have a soft spot for dark hair and sinister smiles. Can’t help it,” Chase quips. 

“He’s an asshole who tried to bring the world to its knees so he could rule it,” Steve adds.

“Abundantly aware of what he’s done, dear heart. Oh, Thor had his own movie, which I think I may have watched after the Avengers, but, again, timelines blah blah. Anyway,” she says before taking another drink, “I see the Avengers. I get curious. I go back and watch the first Captain America movie. Enter Howard Stark, Peggy Carter and a very scrawny Steve Rogers hellbent and determined to go to war with his BFF James Buchanan Barnes. Who, might I add, looks fucking dashing as hell in that army uniform. At least the guy in the movie did.”

“Will you please stop with the fangirling,” Tony snaps. “Goddammit.”

“Hush, Tony,” Pepper laughs.    


“Calm your tits, Starky,” Chase says taking another drink. It’s starting to not taste so bad now. 

“Calm your tits,” Steve repeats, unable to hide his grin. 

“Continue, Chase,” Pepper says.

“Where was I? Oh yeah, Bucky looks fly. Anyway….you get in contact with some doctor who’s working with Howard on making super soldiers. Doc pics you because you have a good heart. They soup you up, Hydra infiltrates the operation, shit goes down, serum gets lost, Doc gets shot and you become a dancing show tunes thing in the states. Until you get shipped overseas to do a show and find out the 107th are MIA. Bucky’s regiment. You flip shit, coerce Peggy and Howard to fly you behind enemy lines to go get Bucky because goddamnit he’d do the same for you and you’re not leaving his ass behind.”

“How much alcohol did you give her, Tony?” Pepper asks watching Chase down the rest of the glass. 

“I don’t know,” he says getting up.

“Can I have another?” Chase asks shaking the glass at Tony. 

“I have a feeling we’ll have to carry you out of here tonight,” he states.

“Want me to keep talking?”

“Yes,” both Tony and Steve answer in unison, each for their own reasons.

“May I have another drink?” Chase asks sweetly. Tony takes her glass and mixes her another drink. He brings it back and motions for her to continue. She drinks a few sips but says nothing.

“Chase,” Steve pleads, “continue. Please.”

“You find Buckaroo in some thing somewhere where some guy name Red Skull and some little shit in glasses were holding him hostage and possibly experimenting on him. Pay attention now Tony,” she says taking another sip. “You rescue Buckaroo Bonzai and the rest of the captives, and then you see fugly the Red Skull who talks shit, you both have the serum, who cares, the places is blowing up around you, you tell Bucky to get the fuck out, Bucky tells you to shove it up your ass he’s not leaving without you, I don’t remember how you escape but you do and ya’ll are walking back as a fucking troop to the base camp where Peggy is getting her ass chewed out by some guy that looks like Tommy Lee Jones. Cheers all around, woo hoo. Let's go on some adventures and kick Hydra’s ass because they have the goddamn Tesseract and they’re going to blow the universe up or some shit.”

“And you know about the Tesseract. This just gets better and better,” Steve muses taking a long sip of the Scotch. 

“You wanted to know, sweet cheeks,” Chase responds holding up her glass in a mock cheer.

“Keep going, Chase,” Pepper says. “I’m going to get the Pizza. Tony, are you coming?”

“Yeah,” he says getting up and following her.

“Where were we?”

“Adventures kicking Hydra’s ass,” Steve reminds her. He hears his phone go off and pulls it from his pocket to look. It’s Bucky asking what happened.

“Natasha or Bucky?” Chase asks, unable to hide her curiosity.

“Bucky. He’s asking if everything is okay.”

“Is it, Captain Rogers?”

“I guess that has yet to be determined, Chase.”

“What are you going to tell him?”

“Nothing. For now.”

“Don’t freak him out, Steve. He’s been through enough,” Chase says softly. She sounds strangely sober suddenly.

“You know a lot about what he went through, don’t you?”

“Hydra fucked him up pretty good,” she says solemnly. Tony and Pepper come back in with boxes of Pizza and other edibles. Steve studies Chase, but makes no mention of what she’s lead on to. 

“I’m not serving you,” Tony says directing the statement to Steve. Steve gets up, Pepper hands him a plate and he grabs some pizza. He gets another plate and puts two slices on it and carries it to Chase who has made no move to get up and is quite content to play with the ice in her drink now. 

“Eat something before you pass out,” he says pushing the plate at her. Chase scowls at him but takes the plate.

“Make sure you eat that,” Tony orders. Chase sticks out her tongue and then goes to work on one of the slices.

“Can you talk and eat?” Pepper asks.

“It’s rude, but yes,” Chase jokes.

“She’s you. I can’t,” Pepper says feigning indignity. Tony laughs. 

“Chase, keep going, please,” Steve encourages.

“So, you boys are out doing the lord’s work and then ya’ll end up on a train for something. Bucky is sufficiently freaked the fuck out because of something that happened on said train, but he’s dealing even though it’s pretty clear he’s scared out of his damn mind. This is where things get fuzzy, so….you and Buck are on top of the train, something happens, he slips and he’s barely holding on. You reach for him...but you can’t get him, Steve. He’s just out of your grasp when he falls…” Chase’s voice drops, the sadness evident. Tony looks over at Steve and he can see the pain as fresh as the day this happened. Steve has never forgotten. Tony is moved by the emotion he sees on Steve’s face and the sadness in Chase’s voice. This is one of those parts of the story about Steve and Bucky he didn’t know about. 

“Go on,” Tony says softly.

“He falls. He falls and Steve thinks that he’s lost his best friend, his brother and the pain is so real it’s palpable. Like it is now. Because you’ve not forgiven yourself.”

“I didn’t get to him in time. Everything that happened could have been prevented if I had just reached a little further,” Steve growls.

“But you couldn’t, Steve,” Chase says gently. “You tried and no one will ever be able to say you didn’t. And if you had succeeded, where would Bucky be now?”

Steve looks up, fighting back the angry tears in his eyes. He’d never thought about this. 

“He’d be gone,” he says finally. He shakes his head to drive away that thought.

“The movie ends with you crashing the plane after doing something with the Tesseract and dismantling Hydra’s weapon,” Chase continues, keeping an eye on Steve. He pulls himself together quickly, takes a long drink of the Scotch then gets up to get himself more. 

“Keep going,” he calls from the bar. 

“So, we have Captain America, Avengers and then we get another Captain America movie but I think there was an Avengers movie before that….is there a dude named Vision running loose in here?”

“He’s with Wanda in Europe,” Tony responds. 

“So Jarvis lives,” Chase muses to herself. Tony chokes on his pizza. 

“That was a clusterfuck,” Steve admits sitting back down.

“Ultron? The discovery of the twins and more Hydra shit. Wanda’s no joke guys. Her daddy isn’t someone to trifle with either,” Chase says digging into the other slice of pizza.

“You know who her father is?” Pepper sounds astonished at this news.

“He’s like Loki in regards to he does what he thinks is best for everyone, regardless of the consequences. He’s a mutant. Magneto.”

“That explains a lot with her,” Tony remarks.

“Meh,” Chase shrugs. “Maybe. Maybe not. You picked her up. Where’s Pietro?”

“He didn’t make it,” Steve says apologetically. 

“Fuck. That poor girl,” Chase whispers. 

“The next Captain America movie,” Steve prods, “tell me about that one.”

Chase bites her lip and looks from Steve to Tony and then to the floor.

“Steve...I don’t know how much of this is right or true or….”

“You’ve been pretty fucking spot on so far,” Steve says coldly. Chase looks up from the floor at him. 

“This isn’t what I wanted, Steve. I didn’t ask to be here or to know this shit.”

“I’m sorry. I am. Just...keep going. Please.”

“Keep in mind what she said earlier, Steve. She isn’t from our world, this is all she's’ learned from hers. Don’t take it out on her,” Tony reminds Steve.

“The next movie was called the Winter Soldier. Long story short, Hydra got into SHIELD, they wanted you dead. They sent their war dog after you. He damn near killed you. But you got to him. You said the words that turned the Winter Soldier back into Bucky. And he remembered you and he fought his programming and ran because he was scared and confused. They took years if not decades to break him and train him to be a monster and you brought him back from the brink -”

“I’m with you till the end of the line,” Steve murmurs.

Tony is starting to feel the pangs of guilt hanging on his soul. He downs his drink and gets more. Better to blame it on the alcohol at this point. The man killed his parents. That’s all he needs to know about Barnes.

“The next movie is the last Avengers movie I’ve seen. They called it Civil War,” Chase says and then sighs tiredly. She takes another drink. “I’m assuming since he’s here and since Starky loathes Buck with the passion of a thousand burning suns that ya’ll went round after you found Buck in Romania. He got blamed for blowing up a building and killing T’Challa and Shuri’s father, but that was Zemo I think trying to frame him. You found him, Steve, in his tiny apartment and he ran. You chased him. T’Challa chased him and it was Rhodey who brought you down. Zemo got a hold of him again at the compound, said the words and rebooted the programming he’d fought so goddamn hard to make go away. You pulled him out of the river this time. He woke up wet, confused and his metal arm clamped in a vice with Sam glaring at him and wanting to slit his throat and you trying to figure out which version of Bucky this was. He knew something happened, something he didn’t want to have happen, that he didn’t want to do, but he did it anyway. You rounded up others because you and Tony were fighting over taking responsibility for your actions and if the governments should regulate what you do or not. Captain America said no to that and that was the first time I actually fell in love with your character and learned to respect you. Tony I wanted to throat punch.”

“What the fuck for?” Tony demands.

“Because you put that registration act into play and then what? They start the mutant registration act? If they haven’t already? People like Wanda get black bagged and carted off to hell holes to die alone because the government sanctioned this shit.”

“That has not happened,” Tony growls taking the defensive.

“Watch what they push through in Congress, Tony. Maybe it won’t happen. Maybe it will. What will you do if it does?”

“Fight it.”

“God I hope so,” Chase states.

“Keep going,” Steve says pulling her back to the story. He’s eager to hear her side of the tale. It’s different hearing it from a party way outside of what happened.

“You guys rally your troops. You, Buck, Sam, Clint, Scott, Wanda. Tony gets his crew - Rhodey, Nat, Vision and Spiderkid.”

Tony snorts and nods his head.

“He is a kid. He’s smart as hell, but he’s a kid nonetheless.”

“Ya’ll go toe to toe. You and Buck escape, Tony goes after you. Siberia is your destination because that’s where the others are stored. Bucky wasn’t the strongest one. He’s just the one they had the most control over.”

“Is this true?” Pepper asks Tony.

“Steve,” Tony defers.

“From what he’s told me, yes. You saw the others in there, Tony.”

“That place is where the broke him, Tony. That chair is where they used to scramble his brains. He had to go in there and look at all this shit and keep it together because Steve needed him to. Because there was no time to fall apart, because Zemo was going to unleash the others and Buck was preparing to die fighting them to protect Steve and you and everyone else from the fucking bloodbath that would ensue if they got loose. Because the only person who ever made an effort to try and save him was in danger and he was damn sure going to take out as many of those fuckers as he could before they brought him down. He saw the tape, Tony. He knows what he did. He knows you hate him, even now. He knows he can’t bring them back and he knows he’ll never be able to forgive himself. I don’t know how you guys all ended up here. I do know that Steve took Bucky to T’Challa and Shuri and that Bucky  _ volunteered _ to go back into cryo till they could figure out how to get his brains right again. And I’m pretty sure he loves you like a brother, Steve, and he’ll never feel like he’s done enough to repay you for all you’ve done for him,” she finishes. Steve actually has to fight back the tears at this point. Tony is morbidly silent. Pepper is brushing away at the tears in her own eyes. The soft sound of snoring is coming from where Happy is passed out in the chair.

“This is what I learned in my world about you all. Nat’s an assassin, similar training style to Bucky. Clint is Clint. Scott is AntMan. Sam is US Air Force. Again, I don’t know how much of this is right, how much of it is Hollywood glam. You wanted to know. Rhodey’s right, I guess. I am a liability.”


	19. Text Messaging

Bucky checks his phone again to see if Steve has bothered to answer him yet. Still nothing. He’s starting to get paranoid that Tony got Steve involved in some stupid shit with that dame. 

He’s about to leave his place when he finally gets the response from Steve.

“All good.”

That’s all it says, which in Steve lingo means something happened, he’s not going to bother typing it out on the phone and there’s a small chance he won’t divulge what happened to Bucky. That’s normally how things work when Tony is involved. Tony, who bears such seething animosity towards Bucky that Bucky’s only recourse is to avoid Tony at all costs. Which kills him, because Tony has all the gadgets, all the tech, all the neat shit that Bucky’s always been so goddamn keen on. Tony’s the guy with the cool toys who thinks Bucky is a shitbag and he won’t share because of it.

At least Steve still has some faith in him, though, for the life of him, Bucky sometimes wonders why.


	20. Parting Ways For The Evening

Steve puts the phone down and sighs. 

“It’s a lot to take in, I get it, Cap,” Chase says looking from him to the floor, “but put yourself in my shoes.”

“I know, Chase,” he says gently, “I know. And I see why Tony and Rhodey want to keep  this under wraps. You know you’re a liability, though, right?"

“She does,” Tony responds curtly.

“I do,” Chase answers. “I don’t want any of you to get hurt because I have the fucking  misfortune of being here.”

“Everything happens for a reason, Chase,” Steve says getting up. “There are no coincidences, just things we don’t understand at the time they happen.”

“ _ I, like God, do not play with dice and do not believe in  _ _coincidence_ ,” Chase says softly.

“I know that from somewhere,” Tony muses.

“V for Vendetta,” Chase says with a small smile. “It’s one of my favorite lines.”

“Yeah, that’s it,” Tony agrees. “Not a bad flick.”

“One of the few that I enjoy enough to watch on repeat,” Chase laughs. 

Steve stretches and grunts at the sound of his back popping. 

“None of this leaves this room, Rogers,” Tony reminds him. He’s staring Steve down to make sure he understands the brevity of the situation here. “I still have to check on Bruce tomorrow to make sure his brains haven’t melted. I don’t need anyone else going into freak out mode right now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve says shaking his head. Then adds, “calm your tits.”

Chase bursts out laughing, Pepper giggles and Tony shoots Steve the iciest of looks. Steve gives Tony his perfect all-star grin.

“Is the offer still on the table to help with the bags, Cap?” Chase asks between sporadic giggles. 

“Ask your keeper if that’s okay.”

“He’s not my keeper. Are you?”

“Not in the sense you’re a caged animal, no. But I am responsible for you,” Tony admits after some thought. Chase bites her lip and nods her head in acknowledgment.

“I’ve become your burden. I’m sorry.”

“You’re not a burden-”

“Give it time, Starky.”

“You’re not a burden,” Tony says more firmly this time. “You aren’t here of your own free will, you’ve made that plainly obvious. While I can’t let you run around the world carrying the knowledge you do, I can give you some creature comforts till we can get this shit figured out.”

Once again Steve is overly impressed at Tony’s humanity. He smiles approvingly, glad that Tony is showing potential at being more than an asshole.

“Does this mean I can help her with the shopping spree?” Steve jokes.

“Fine. Stop hitting on him. He’s taken. You can do better anyway,” Tony grumbles waving them away. Pepper punches Tony lightly in the ribs and gives him a shocked look. Steve is grinning like an idiot and Chase is blushing because Tony called her out.

“Alright, asshat,” Chase growls as she gathers up some of the bags. “I’ll keep it in mind that’s he’s taken. Won’t stop me from admiring the view, though,” she adds right before she walks out of the room.

“Stop that!” Tony yells after her. Steve is getting a hearty laugh out of the situation. He grabs the rest of the bags and follows Chase out. 

“I swear to god that girl needs better taste in men,” Tony grouses to Pepper when Chase and Steve are gone.

“Who would be better than the all American all-star?” Pepper teases trying to keep a straight face. Tony looks at her, completely unamused.

“Am I going to have problems with you now?”

“Not unless you create them,” she answers with a grin. 

“That sounded like a challenge,” Tony laughs pulling Pepper into his arms and kissing her neck.


	21. Thanks For Doing The Heavy Lifting

Steve and Chase stay silent the entire way to her apartment. Steve because he’s still processing what she knows, especially about Bucky, and Chase because she genuinely does not know what to say to Captain America. 

Steve follows her down the hall to her apartment where she lets them in.

“Where do you want me to put these?” he asks holding up the numerous bags.

“You can leave them right there. I have to sort through all this stuff. Thank you for helping,” she says giving him a sweet smile and hoping he doesn’t think she’s still flirting with him. 

“Anytime. If you need anything and Tony isn’t around, I’ll be here. I’m not the bad guy Tony wants me to be.”

Chase chuckles.

“He likes you. He admires you. He just doesn’t want to admit it.”

“I know. He’s an asshat, as you say.”

“Jesus Christ...I’m going to stop talking around you two because I’m going to get in trouble.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re calling him names I’ve used and he’s going to call you names I’ve used….”

“Oh?” Steve says genuinely curious and unable to hide his amusement. “Like what?”

“Captain Fucking America was one.”

“Captain Fucking America,” Steve repeats and purses his lips. 

“The other was El Capitano.”

Steve laughs at this name. 

“Nice,” he says still laughing a bit. “Your naming conventions are pretty good, Chase.”

“Meh. I have my moments,” she says with a shrug. “Look, seriously, thank you for bringing this stuff up and not flipping complete shit with what I told you down there. I...I don’t want to be here, Steve. I don’t. I’m scared and confused and now you guys are, too.”

Steve takes a few steps towards Chase closing the gap between them. 

“I believe you, Chase. I can tell by the look in your eyes that this isn’t what you wanted and I saw you freaking out in the hospital room. Like Tony said, we’ll deal. Precautions will need to be taken, but we’ll deal.”

“You really are a good dude, aren’t you?”

“So I’ve been told,” he laughs. “Not by Tony, of course.”

“Of course,” she says with a big smile. 

“If you need anything,” he says turning and heading towards the door, “don’t hesitate.”

“Thank you.”

Steve nods his head and exits her apartment. Chase is alone with the bags and bags of stuff and her thoughts. She sits down heavily on the leather sectional and looks around. Everything in here screams bachelor pad, the leather sectional, the cheesy artwork on the walls, the huge TV mounted to the wall….even the bedroom with the silk sheets and funky looking down comforter on the bed. This is nothing like her place back home. And she misses home so very much right now.

Chase wipes absently at the tears in her eyes before grabbing the bags and heading back towards the bedroom to sort them out. 


	22. Telling Bucky Without Telling Bucky

Steve shoots Bucky a message that he’s on his way over. Bucky gets it about three seconds before Steve is banging on Bucky’s own apartment door.

“Thanks for the warning,” Bucky jests, letting Steve in.

“I sent you the message, jerk.”

“Shut up. What do you want to drink?”

“Soda,” Steve sighs, dropping on Bucky’s couch.

“You going to tell me what the hell happened or no?” Bucky asks, tossing Steve a bottle of cold Pepsi. Steve cracks the top and downs half of it.

“No,” he says at long last. 

“Is this Tony’s rule or yours?”

“Both. Bucky, it’s a fucking mess. And honestly, I don’t even know where to start right now,” Steve admits when he sees the anger flare up in Bucky’s blue eyes.

“Are she and Pepper okay?”

“Yeah. They’re fine. We had a nice long conversation.”

“You actually got to talk to her?” Bucky asks astounded.

“Yeah. She’s a trip, Buck. Girl’s a goddamn pistol and she dishes it right back to Tony. It’s funny as hell to watch.”

“And she’s got personality. Nice.”

“She's scared and confused, by her own admission. Tony is keeping her here, under his protection as he put it.”

“Is she really from an alternate universe? I mean, this isn’t just some shit Tony and Bruce came up with just because, is it?”

“She really is. I believe her, Buck. Just the look in her eyes. You saw her flipping out in the hospital room.”

“I saw a wild dame trying to escape from Tony,” Bucky laughs. “Anything beyond that initial glimpse…”

“She’s got a mouth like a sailor, Buck. Holy shit,” Steve laughs. “Her vocabulary includes some real gems.”

“You’ll tell me what she’s like, but not about where she’s from or what the hell is going on. Yeah, there’s nothing odd about this,” Bucky says taking a jab at Steve. 

“Buck,” Steve sighs, “I can’t. Like I said, even if I could, even if I  _ wanted  _ to….I just don’t know where to begin. I’m still trying to get my head straight from this shit.”

Bucky shrugs. “When’s Nat coming back?”

“Should be here later tonight.”

“You telling her about this?”

“I’ll let Tony explain.”

“Good call.”

“Buck, don’t take offense to me not telling you what the hell is going on with Chase,” Steve says slowly. “In the long run it may be better not knowing.”

“Ignorance is bliss,” Bucky replies with a shrug. 


	23. It's not breaking and entering if you own the place...

Chase wakes up the following day feeling hungover and very, very moody. Her head hurts from the turpentine Tony was giving her last night along with the fact that she’d cried herself to sleep again. 

“I will never take anything for granted in my world again,” she vows as she slides off the sheets and nearly topples to the floor.

She stumbles to the bathroom to shower and try and figure out what the fuck to do with herself for the rest of the day. 

When she finishes she gets dressed and heads to the kitchen nook to find something sustainable to eat. Along the way she passes through the living room and sees a box on the black and chrome coffee table. 

“What the fuck is this?” she asks the living room. She wasn’t expecting an answer, but at this point if the sectional responded Chase probably wouldn’t be phased.  She plops down on the couch and reaches for the box. It’s a cell phone. There’s a small card attached to the outside. 

“So much for privacy. Jesus Christ,” she snaps as she opens the card. 

_ Kiddo, _

_ I sent Pepper in to drop this off. Didn’t have a way to tell you and didn’t want to bang on the door and scare the shit out of you.  _ _ Shouldn’t happen anymore. Don’t be mad at her, come bitch me out. Number is on a card in the box. Mine is already programmed in and because Steve is a dick I had to program his in, too. Come to the penthouse when you wake up. _

_ Tony _

Chase reads the second to the last line again and starts to laugh. 

“Because Steve is a dick,” she giggles. “Nice.” 

She pulls the phone from the box. The brand new Samsung Galaxy. Nice. The phone is already charged and on. She flips through the screens and then looks in the Contacts App. Sure enough, Tony and Steve are there along with Pepper, Happy and Rhodey.

“Does Rhodey know you gave me his number or should I just call him and freak him the fuck out, too?” Chase muses. She decides against calling Rhodey for shits and giggles as that may start a chain reaction of bullshit she’s unprepared to deal with. The gesture on Tony’s part was nice, though. Even if he had Pepper sneak in here unannounced to drop the phone off. And the fact that he said  _ shouldn’t happen again _ as opposed to  _ won’t happen again _ makes her think that he’s leaving himself that loophole for god knows what. She pulls up Steve’s number and looks at it. She’s not interested in Steve, but the fact that Bucky is here...she can’t seem to get that out of her head. 

“Munchausen by proxy,” she mutters as she gets up from the sectional. “He’s probably dating some curvy skank with no gag reflex.”

Chase heads to the kitchen nook to grab herself something quick so she can go bother Tony about finding a way home.

 


	24. The banter continues

Tony is futzing around on the virtual screens in the sitting area of the penthouse when Chase comes in with Pepper. 

“Have you tried on any of the other clothes we bought?” Pepper asks.

“You mean the dress up stuff? Negative, Ghostrider, the closet will remain full.”

Tony hears this and snickers and then guffaws when Pepper shoots him a look. 

“Sorry,” he says only sort of apologetically. “She’s got a mouth on her.”

“Not the first time I’ve heard that,” Chase mumbles looking around. 

“Chase!” Pepper chides.

“Whoa! Pepp! Jesus! I meant about my language!” 

“Yeah, Pepper,” Tony adds, grinning maniacally.

“You took it that direction,” Pepper scolds looking at Chase. “And you,” she says facing Tony and glaring at him “aren’t you old enough to be setting a better example?”

“Oh. Burn,” Chase winces. Tony acts like he’s pouting but can’t keep from chuckling. Pepper gives in, smiles and shakes her head at them. 

“If you had a sister, she would be her.”

“If he had a sister, he’d be a strung out mess trying to keep her from all the prime beef in this building,” Chase quips. 

“Prime beef?” Tony repeats, not seeing the humor. 

“Prime. Beef,” Chase continues. “I mean, look at Cap-”

“He’s taken! What the hell is wrong with you?” Tony demands. 

“Three guesses. First two don’t count,” Chase responds.

“Chase!” Pepper yells. 

“See? There you go again reading too far into what I said. You’re a dirty little bird, aren’t you, Miss Potts?” Chase teases. Tony looks at Pepper who has daggers coming from her eyes and just roars with laughter. 

“She’s only been here like three days,” Tony gasps. “She already knows!”   


“Keep it up, Tony,” Pepper warns, though there’s no threat to her words. She’s trying hard to keep from smiling at the antics of Tony and Chase and finding it difficult to do so.  

“You’re in trouble,” Chase whispers as she tries to look at the screens Tony was playing on.

“I will separate you two,” Pepper threatens. Both Tony and Chase look at each other horrified.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Chase taunts.

“Watch me. I have a meeting to attend. You two better behave yourselves. Tony, don’t start anything with Steve or Bucky. Chase, stop eyeballing Steve like he’s the last man on Earth.”

“Ouch,” Tony hisses. 

“So that happened,” Chase says as Pepper leaves. “Steve’s not my type anyway,” she says after a moment.

“He’s a little too  _ pure _ for you I think,” Tony says thoughtfully. 

“Okay, that’s not even….what? I’m not talking about his virginity, you asshat.”

“Neither was I, smartass.”

Tony and Chase stare at each other for a few moments, each trying to decide on the best comeback to use. Chase ends up snickering and then laughing out right because Tony is an ass and looking at her cross eyed. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Ironman,” she laughs as she does a mock introduction. 

“She’s going to separate us and it’ll be your fault,” he teases going back to the virtual screens.

“Yeah, yeah,” she says brushing him off.  “Thanks for the phone. What are you doing?”   


“You’re welcome and entering your information into the system and seeing what I can pull from any security cameras that may have been on at the sight of your landing.”

“Is there anything I can do? I feel like a leech.”

“Aw, kiddo, don’t do that. You’re not a leech. I don’t have anything immediately for you, but then what the hell is it that you do aside from snarky remarks and witty comebacks?”

Chase laughs. “Not good for much else except computer forensics stuff and hacking emails I guess.”

“That’s a start. What else do you do?”

“I read.”   


“Read what?”

“Books. They’re these old things that are made out of trees and pressed together with lots of words and/or pictures in them.”

“I know what a book is - seriously? Are you like this all the time or is it just because you’re here?”

“Eh...could be why I’m still single, so we’ll go with all the time.”

“They clearly don’t know what they’re missing,” Tony says with a laugh.

“I think they do, Starky.”


	25. Nat's got some questions

Steve is in the shower when Natasha finally comes home. It’s later than she anticipated and she’s dying to get to the bottom of the rumor mill circulating in ops about some mystery girl and Tony.

She walks back to the bathroom and opens the door quietly. She strips quickly and opens the shower door. 

“I heard you come in, Nat,” Steve grins as he rinses out his hair. Natasha looks him over and smiles. 

“Did you? Where’s my welcome home kiss, hotshot?”

“Right here,” he says pulling her into his arms then running his hands down over her hips to her thighs so he can pick her up and allow her to wrap her legs around him. She moans loudly in his ear at the feel of his body against hers. He kisses her, pressing his lips to hers with a neediness she’s all to willing to give into. 

The shower acrobatics come to a conclusion and Steve steps out first, gets dressed and heads to the nook to brew Nat some coffee. It isn’t long after when she comes into the nook in nothing but the silk bathrobe he bought her for her birthday - more as a present for himself than for her, but she doesn’t mind. 

“So,” she says watching him fill the mug with piping hot coffee, “I hear we have a new resident in the tower.”

Steve puckers his lips, but doesn’t say anything.  Nat watches him, the hint of a smile on her face. He’s got his tells, hard as he tries to hide them. Just like Clint. Just like Tony. Bucky is the only one who’s harder to read, but he’s been trained to be that way, just like she has been. 

“Steve?” she presses, leaning over the counter just enough for the robe to dip open and show Steve the hint of cleavage. Visual stimulation works best, she’s found.

“What do you want me to tell you, Nat?”

This catches Nat off guard, not so much the phrasing as the tone. He sounds tired and perplexed when he’s usually upbeat and energetic. 

“So there is someone here. Do we know anything about her?”

“Yes and no. I’m not the one to ask, Nat. Don’t push me on this. I gave Tony and Chase my word-”

“Chase? She has a name,” Nat muses. “Is she pretty?” It’s a taunt of sorts to see if he’ll lighten up.

“Baby, she’s got nothing on you,” Steve grins, reaching across the counter to cup her breasts and give them a soft squeeze. 

“But you won’t tell me anything. Not suspicious,” she says leaning back away from him. Steve’s smile fades and he shakes his head.

“I can’t. Like I told Buck, even if I wanted to I wouldn’t be able to make it make sense and I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“Then direct me to the person who can and will.”

“You’ll have to talk to Tony, Nat.”

“What if I want to talk to this Chase girl?” Nat counters, intentionally egging Steve on.

“You’ll have to take that up with him, too.”

“Is he keeping her as a pet? Is she dangerous? Should we be concerned?” Nat fires the questions off quickly, her agitation at Steve’s lack of willingness to answer her questions showing.

“Natasha,” Steve says pushing the coffee towards her slowly, “talk to Tony.”


	26. Tell me what you know, Stark

“I have some questions you’re going to answer,” Natasha says walking in on Tony and Bruce having a discussion. Bruce looks mildly out of sorts, but not so different as he does any other time. Tony looks a little agitated at Natasha’s tone and demand for attention.

“Do tell,” Tony says calmly.

“Who’s the girl?”

“Oh, boy, here we go,” Bruce groans. Tony shakes his head. 

“You know who she is, Bruce?” Nat asks.

“He was there in the hospital room when she started flipping shit. He was privy to the conversations that took place after the fact. And he’s just now coming to grips with what he’s learned,” Tony explains flatly.

“What the hell could have wound you up like that?” Nat asks, her tone more gentle with Bruce.

“Well…” Bruce begins. He looks at Tony.

“Tell her what you know. She’s going to torture one of us till she gets her answers. I don’t want to be her victim today,” Tony remarks. Nat looks from Bruce to Tony and back again. 

“Sit down, Nat,” Bruce begs. “You’ll want to sit down for this.”

“Oh, this should be good,” she says taking a seat. 

It takes Bruce and Tony almost an hour to get through the story due to Natasha’s thoroughly painful line of questioning. 

“And you believe that she’s from a universe where none of us actually exist?” Nat asks for the fiftieth time. 

“Nat,” Tony says tiredly, “Pepper and I both saw the street before she crashed and after. She wasn’t there till after the lightning flash and the sonic boom. Even Dr. Kavorkian said he felt a disturbance in his little portals or whatever. She flipped the fuck out when she found out that she was not only in New York but that she was in a world where we’re comic book characters, movies, cartoons, you name it. Flipped. Shit. They had to sedate her, Nat. She asks me every few hours if I have a way for her to get home. She doesn’t ask about you or Steve or Rhodey, Thor, Loki, Fury - she doesn’t seem to give a fuck. She’s either with me or with Pepper or alone in her apartment crying.”

“Dr. Kavorkian?” Nat questions.

“Dr. Strange,” Bruce answers. 

“I see. How do you plan on keeping her from talking to anyone else?”

“I set some ground rules up, which she’s not entirely pleased with,” Tony states.

“Oh?”

“She can’t leave the tower unless she’s being escorted by one or more of the team,” Bruce says taking over the conversation. “She’s not to talk to anyone other than Tony, Dr. Strange or Steve about where she’s from and what she knows.”

“Not even you, even though you were there in the room?” Nat asks.

“Yeah, that messed me up a little. I don’t want to think about being an action figure in someone else’s world, Nat.”

“I can see how that would screw with your head,” Nat admits. “Do you trust her to abide by your rules, Tony?”

“I have no reason not to. I gave her a phone so I have a way to keep in touch with her. She’s got my number, Rhodey’s number, Happy, Pepper and your loving beau Steve’s number.”   


“And why does she have Steve’s number?” Natasha asks, barely keeping the instant jealousy out of her voice.

“He told me to give it to her on the off chance I’m not available and she needs something. Don’t worry, she’s not interested in him,” Tony states matter-of-factly. 

“I’m not,” Nat replies. 

“Good.”

“Who else knows about her?”

“Aside from Bruce, you, myself, Steve, and Dr. Quackers?”

“Yes.”

“Rhodey, Sam and the nutjob have a vague understanding. Not to the detailed extent you and Steve now know.”

“The nutjob has a name, Tony, for fuck’s sake,” Nat reminds him.

“Yup,” Tony retorts, “so do dung beetles.”

“Has Steve told Bucky?” Nat muses out loud.

“He damn well better not have. He was told to keep his fool mouth shut,” Tony snaps. 

“Tony,” Nat says evenly, “if you told him not to say anything, he’s going to say something.”

“She asked him not to, as well. He promised her. Not just me, Nat,” Tony says defensively.

“And who the hell is she to us? A liability that you’re keeping as a pet.”

“She’s not my goddamn pet, Natasha,” Tony barks. “She didn’t ask to be here, I didn’t ask for her to be here. Go look in the garage at her car, what’s left of it. I’ll get you the medical records from the hospital wing showing the damage she took from the goddamn crash. I’ve got the video surveillance, shitty as it is, showing the street empty then her sudden crash arrival. Which would you like to view first, Romanov?” Tony finishes, slamming his hands on the table. Nat studies Tony for a moment.

“I just needed to be sure you weren’t holding out or being used as a pawn, Tony. And I do want to see the video. Just to satiate my curiosity.”


	27. We Are Family, At Least While You're Here

Chase paces around the apartment in a state of mixed anger and despair. She wants to go home. Nothing seems to be happening to make that come to fruition. And to top it all off, Tony has now banned her from leaving the tower of her own accord unless she has a goddamn entourage with her. 

“Fucking shit,” she hisses to the sectional. “Such utter bullshit.”

She asked Tony four different times in the last day and a half if he’s found anything, even the smallest detail, that may give them an idea on how to send her home. After the third time he started to get flustered with her. The fourth time he simply looked at her like she was an annoying small child with a drum set. She had walked away from him at that point only to be called after to find out where she thought she was going. The only place she could go without making it a group event was her apartment. 

She continues to pace, ignoring her tears as they stream down her cheeks. She keeps thinking about home - her tiny apartment with the itty bitty shower stall she used to bitch about, the busted door frame that her landlord seemed inconvenienced to fix, the stray cat that would hang by her trashcan waiting for Chase to toss scraps for her to eat, her violent neighbors who used to scream at each other all day and night about the stupidest of bullshit. She missed her job and the petty, vindictive people stirring up rumors, and the people she actually enjoyed working with, her hour long lunch break, the cute guy at the coffee shop who she convinced herself was either gay or taken so she wouldn’t make a fool of herself by asking him out. She missed her friends calling her, stopping over at random, doing random short trips to little shithole places just to say they’d been there. She missed her family, her parents, her brother….

None of that was here, seemingly. She’d entertained the thought that maybe, just maybe, there were versions of them here. But if they were, there’s a chance there’s a version of her here as well and she wasn’t about to start some Planet of the Apes apocalyptic shit. This world has its own array of issues. The news broadcasts shit all day long about mutants, metahumans, super villains, bombs, fascist regimes, and the never ending quest to get into the private lives of super heroes. Much like celebrities, they get no peace either. 

Tony had gifted her a brand new Macbook Pro, a Lenovo gaming PC, an XBox One and a PS4 Pro to try and keep her occupied. He loaded up a Kindle Fire with over a grand worth of Amazon gift cards for her to buy the digital versions of any book she wanted. She thanked him profusely, even cried when he kept giving her things, but it’s not what she wants. 

There is a knock at the door and Chase stops pacing. 

“Friday, who’s at the door?”

“Mr. Stark is at the door,” the disembodied voice answers. Tony had Friday’s AI put into the apartment to keep tabs on Chase and to help her find Tony if she needed him. Or Pepper. Or Happy. Or Rhodey.  Or if she just wanted to annoy the AI.

Chase opens the door and lets Tony in.

“You’re crying,” he says looking at her tear stained face. 

“Yeah.”

“What can I do to make this easier, Chase?” he asks, genuinely concerned he hasn’t given her enough to occupy herself and take her mind off of being homesick.

“Jesus Christ, Tony, you’ve given me enough stuff already. It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, either. Please, please believe that I do. I just….I miss my home, Starky. I miss my friends and my family and even my goddamn job.”

“We’re friends, kiddo. You, me, you and Pepper. Steve seems to like listening to you talk, and Bruce is willing to talk to you-”

“That poor bastard is scared of me.”

“He’s right to be. You’re a fucking pistol,” Tony jokes. She gives him a pained smile.

“I don’t want to fry his brain pan.”

“He’ll be alright. As far as your family goes, I can’t do much for that, Chase. I am trying. I even made an effort to reach out to Dr. Strange and see if he’s come across anything. Still no word from the Odinson - either of them. I know you’re not happy about the precautions I had to set up, but they’re a necessary evil. You aren’t a prisoner. Till I can get you home, maybe Pepper’s right, maybe you’re a little sister.”

Tony is very soft spoken when he says this which completely catches Chase off guard. He’s not usually emotional around her that’s she’s noticed. Calm, collected, snarky, joking - all of those things, yes. 

“Thank you,” she says throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. “For everything.”

“It’s alright, kiddo,” he says hugging her back. “I’ll see what I can do about the job thing.”


	28. Jogging in the Park

 

 

“Have you seen her since your conversation the other day?” Bucky asks as he and Steve head out to Central Park for a run. 

“No. Natasha is still pissed at me that I wouldn’t tell her what I know, but she’ll get over it.”

“Or she won’t,” Bucky quips with a sinister smile.

“Jealousy doesn’t suit you,” Steve fires back. 

“Not jealous. Not by a long shot. She’s all yours.”

“We’ll find someone for you, Buck,” Steve says slapping his hand on Bucky’s back. Bucky shakes his head no.

“I heard that you tried to convince Sharon to go out with me.”

“Who told you that?” Steve demands. Bucky wasn’t supposed to know about that.

“I have ears.”

“Buck…” Steve begins then stops because he’s not sure what to say now.

“Let it go,” Bucky says a little more tersely than he meant to. Steve stops and looks at his childhood friend.

“Buck, you deserve to find someone.”

“Hmmph,” he grunts. “I’m not the guy I was during the war, Steve. He’s gone.”

“Not entirely. You’ve changed, yes, but, there’s still part of you in there. The old you. The ladies man,” Steve teases. Bucky flips him off, but he’s got that side grin he gets when someone gets the better of him and he doesn’t want to admit it. 

They meet Sam in the park and go for their run. It’s more like a track and field event, Steve and Bucky taking turns tormenting Sam as they each pass him on either the left or the right. At least until Sam gets irritated enough with their shenanigans that he tells them both to get bent.

“Don’t be mad, Sam,” Bucky pants as he wipes the sweat from his brow. “Maybe someday you’ll be able to keep up.”

“I’m about to put my foot up your ass, Barnes,” Sam threatens, glaring at him. Bucky laughs at the threat. 

“Knock it off,” Steve warns. He’s looking at his phone. 

“Nat?” Bucky and Sam ask in unison. 

“No,” Steve says perplexed. “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Chase. You around?”

“Hey, Chase!” Steve says clearly shocked by the call. “I’m in Central Park with Bucky and Sam.”


	29. Sure You Don't Want To Come Along?

It’s been three days since Tony and Pepper headed to California for some business thing. Pepper and Tony both asked Chase to go along, but she declined. Before they left, Tony had stopped by to see Chase once more to see if she changed her mind about going.

“There’s nothing for me in Cali, Starky. Besides, you need a break from my constant whining about going home,” she had told him, trying to make a joke of the situation. 

“I think getting you out of the tower and out of New York for a while would be good for you, kiddo.”

“Maybe. But there’s still a chance maybe Dr. Offbeat will find something.”

“It’s been almost a month, Chase. He hasn’t seen you since that first time. We still can’t locate Thor and Loki….”

“There has to be a way to summon Norse Gods, Tony.”

“I don’t think you summon gods, kiddo.”

“This is true. Last thing we need right now is a fucking room full of demon hellspawn running around. Rhodey would not approve.”

“No,” Tony laughs, “no he wouldn’t. I think Fury would have an issue with them getting into Ops and breaking shit, too.”

“Can you imagine if they got a hold of one of the suites?” Chase giggles. “Oh my god, what a fucking nightmare!”

“Yeah...I don’t even want to entertain that thought. Promise me you’re not going to do some weird occult shit and summon something from somewhere that answers to a name like Cthulhu.”

“Awww….”

“Chase,” Tony says being overly firm now, because god knows with everything else they’ve seen happen this would be the next level of insanity. 

“I promise. I promise. Dammit,” she says pouting. 

“Sure you won’t go? I hear San Diego has nice beaches.”

“I wouldn’t be able to go without an escort anyway, Starky. What fun is that for a single girl looking for some fresh meat?”

“Too much information. Way too much. You’re hormones are out of control. Take a cold shower.”

“Doesn’t help,” she says laughing at the faces Tony makes. He shakes his head, goes to say something thinks better of it and snaps his mouth closed.

“Got nothing?” Chase jests. 

“I’ll call you when we get there, smartass,” he retorts. He hugs her quickly, and tilts his head to the side. “Sure you don’t want to go?”

“Pepp’s gonna be pissed if you’re late. I’ll be alright. Cap’s here and I have his number and Rhodey’s.”

“Don’t call Steve unless you can’t get to Rhodey. I don’t want you exposed to Barnes.”

“I don’t think I could expose myself to Barnes, Starky. One of us will get hurt.”

“God fucking dammit, Chase,” he groans, pinching his eyes closed.

“Also, I’m not entirely sure what he looks like. Just because you and The Great and Powerful Captain look very similar to your acting counterparts….”

“Odd are he looks similar. Just don’t. I don’t trust him.”

“Tony,” Chase sighes.

“We can talk about it later. Be good,” he says patting her head and then exiting her apartment. 


	30. Why Is She Calling You?

Sam and Bucky exchange surprised glances when they hear who called Steve.

“Does Nat know she has his number?” Sam asks.

“If he wants to live she does,” Bucky states.

“Have you seen her since she arrived?”

“Nope. If I have I didn’t know who the hell she was. You?”

“Same,” Sam says watching Steve step a few paces away from them while still on the  phone. “And I’m guessing you have no idea about where she’s actually from or anything else, right?”

“Bingo,” Bucky remarks watching Steve as he finishes up talking to Chase. 

“Care to tell us what’s going on with the mystery girl no one is allowed to talk to but you, Tony and Strange?” Sam asks trying to sound like he’s annoyed by the interruption.

“She wants to go out,” Steve says with a shrug. Bucky shakes his head no and Sam is wild eyed in awe.

“Yeah...I think you should clear that with Nat first,” Bucky says quickly.

“You two are assholes,” Steve gripes. “That’s not what I meant.” 

“Then elaborate,” Sam says folding his arms across his chest. “We’ve got time.”

This is the only time he and Bucky will get along about something. If they both have an interest in the same thing, they’ll get along, other than that Steve has to do his best to keep them from beating the shit out of each other. Nat told him it’s because they’re jealous of each other. Steve still thinks that’s a load of bullshit.

“She just wants someone to go with her to the goddamn store,” Steve grumbles.

“Oh, so you’re her shopping bitch?” Sam teases. Steve glares at him and Bucky looks down trying to hide his amusement.

“No. It’s complicated -”

“Obviously,” Sam continues. “Which is why he and I are so goddamn curious as to why  she’s calling you just to go  _ shopping _ .”

“Let’s just say for safety reasons she can’t leave the tower without someone going with her,” Steve states, hoping they’ll let it go now. 

“Why? Is she a walking time bomb? Does she have a medical condition? Is she dangerous?” Sam persists.

“Is she hot, Steve?” Bucky asks trying to goad Steve into giving  them something.

“I will kick your ass, Buck,” Steve promises. “Yours, too, Sam. Just know that she can’t  go out without one of us with her.”

“Oh, so now it’s one of us as opposed to you?” Sam presses. “So, why didn’t she call me? And is she hot?”

“Jesus Christ….enough. I’m going home to get cleaned up,” Steve snaps breaking into a jog to get away from them. Bucky and Sam look at each other and chase after him.

“No you don’t, Cap!” Sam yells running after him. Steve runs faster. Sam can hear Bucky laughing, but not at him. Sam knows Steve can’t outrun Bucky and Bucky’s just letting Steve get a head start. 


	31. At Least Tell Me What's She Looks Like

Steve runs for the tower with Bucky close behind. He knows Bucky can overtake him if he wants to, but Bucky is just fucking with him at this point. Steve stops, hoping that it’s just Bucky on his heels and not Sam and Bucky both. 

“Give up,” Bucky pants with a grin as he trots up next to Steve. 

“You’re a shit,” Steve laughs. 

“Why’d you run, punk?”

“Don’t start, man,” Steve says wiping his brow. They walk inside the air conditioned lobby of the tower and head to the elevators. 

“I just want you to answer one question,” Bucky says, pressing the up button.

“Why?”

“Curiosity,” Bucky answers pushing Steve inside the elevator when the doors open. 

“What?” Steve asks pressing the button for their floor.

“Is she hot?”

Steve studies Bucky for a moment then laughs.

“Really? That’s what you want to know?”

“You won’t answer any other questions about her, so, yeah,” Bucky answers nonchalantly. 

“Define hot.”

“Hot, Steve. Hips, lips, curves and dips.”

Steve cracks up laughing.

“She’s not bad looking.”   


“Not gonna answer this question either, huh?” Bucky says nodding his head. He doesn’t conceal his disappointment. 

“What do you want me to tell you?” Steve asks still laughing a little.

“What does this dame look like?” Bucky asks saying each word slowly for effect. He just gets the words out when the elevator doors open. 


	32. Behind Door Number One...

Chase had gone down a few floors in hopes of finding Rhodey lurking somewhere in one of the other lounge areas so she could tell Steve not to worry about going to the store with her. After looking on three different floors and getting lost in the maze that was an office space and having some weird guy pushing a mail cart follow her back out to the hall, she decided to give up. 

She stood at the elevator doors waiting for them to open so she could go back to the sanctity of her cell and away from people more socially inept than she is. 

She’s looking at her fingernails, which she’s chewed back to an almost painful point when the doors open and the elevator bings.

“Chase?” 

She looks up and sees Steve in the elevator looking at her quizzically and he’s not alone. Next to him is a dark haired man with a chiseled jawline, scruff on his chin and neck just barely concealing the the cleft in his chin, the high cheek bones, and ocean blue eyes. She’s instantly floored and knows beyond a shadow of a doubt who this is. And now she can’t move.


	33. Lets See How Awkward This Can Be

Bucky looks from Steve to the girl he’s addressing. She’s frozen in front of the elevator doors, her brown eyes fixed on him. He’s a little miffed by this to say the very least.

Steve looks from Chase to Bucky and back again. She recognizes him and she appears to be either terrified or awe struck, he’s not sure which.

“Chase?” he says again when she makes no effort to move or look in his direction. She slowly turns to look at him and whatever spell Bucky had put on her breaks.

The doors start to close and Bucky puts his arm out to force them open again. He sees her blink and step inside, a rosy flush creeping into her cheeks, bringing out the pale pink of her lips.

“You okay, dollface?” Steve asks gently. She’s looking at the floor when he speaks.

“Yeah,” she says looking up keeping her eyes focused solely on him. He looks over at Bucky and catches him looking her over. Bucky sees Steve watching him and looks up at the ceiling of the elevator.

“Still want to go shopping?” he asks, unsure what to do with these two.

“I need groceries, Steve. I’m so sick of ordering in. If I see one more goddamn pizza or cheesesteak I’m going to vomit.”

Bucky huffs out a laugh and immediately bites his lip. Chase looks over at him and then away again. Steve sees the rosey color come back to her cheeks. He debates for a moment as to what to do. They still have a few floors to go till they get to their destination.

“Buck, this is Chase,” Steve says finally. Bucky looks over at her and forces a smile. 

“Hey,” she says quietly, a flash of a smile crossing her lips. Steve sees her cheeks flush again and shakes his head. Bucky looks down and away, clearly uncomfortable in the small box the three of them are stuck in.

The elevator doors finally open. Chase nearly jumps out into the hallway. Steve steps out followed by Bucky.

“I can meet you in the lobby,” she offers, refusing to look at Steve or Bucky.

“I’ll call you before I come get you, dollface,” Steve promises. She looks up at him, nods her head and heads quickly down her end of the long hall.

Bucky watches Chase go. He jumps when Steve clamps a hand on his shoulder.

“Does that answer your question?” Steve teases.


	34. Sweet Jesus, Get The Hose

Chase throws open the apartment door and shuts it quickly behind her. She can still feel the heat on her face, but that pales to the heat in her belly finally seeing the man that ruled her dreams in her own world caused. 

“Holy fucking asscrackers,” she moans heading for the kitchen nook. She goes to the freezer, pulls out the bottle of vodka and dumps three shots worth into a glass then tops it with a splash of cranberry juice. She downs it in three gulps. She can’t get the image of him out of her head. The sweat stained t-shirt and the way it stuck to him like a second skin, the way his hair was pulled back in that loose ponytail leaving a few stray strands around his face, the cleft in his chin with that just right amount of stubble, and those eyes….god have mercy on her soul, those eyes of his, like oceans and galaxies and stars and moonlit pools and…

“Fuck’s sake, get a goddamn grip!” she yells at herself. She pours another double shot of vodka and downs it straight. Steve better hurry the fuck up in that shower or she’s going to be wasted till he gets here. 

She plants the ice cold bottle of vodka against her forehead and tries to think of something -  _ anything  _ \- other than Sergeant Barnes. Her mind won’t cooperate and that is sending her body into a tailspin of burning desire. 

“I need to get laid,” she says putting the vodka back and going to the living room to try and divert her attentions elsewhere.


	35. Best Not To Dwell

Bucky sits in his apartment staring at his cell and debating on calling Steve. His curiosity about this girl is at a fever pitch after seeing her and he wants to know more. But he just can’t bring himself to call Steve or even text him to see if he can just tag along. He looks at his arm, the gray vibranium shimmering when it catches the light. Did she see this? She had to have. He didn’t have it covered like he normally does when he goes out for a run. Is that why she seemed so uncomfortable? 

“Shit,” he mutters to himself. He decides to let it go. She’s off limits to everyone but Steve, Tony and Rhodey anyway. And that Strange character. No point in trying to get to know someone you can't get near.

Bucky gets up, grabs the phone off the coffee table and heads back to the bedroom. He tosses the phone on the bed, heads to the bathroom where he strips and gets into the shower. 

She has the prettiest pink lips though….


	36. Shopping Trips Suck

Steve calls Bucky first as soon as he finishes his shower.

“You need anything while I’m out?” he asks. 

“Why didn’t you introduce me to her?”

“I did?” Steve asks trying to figure out what the hell Bucky means.

“No. You introduced her to me. You never introduced me to her. Never said ‘Chase this is Bucky’. Why?”

“Can we do this later? I told her I’d take her shopping,” Steve sighs. 

“Do what you got to do, Steve,” Bucky says hanging up. 

“Goddammit,” Steve groans. He calls Chase next hoping this conversation will go a little smoother. She answers in one ring.

“You ready?” she asks quickly before he can say hello.

“Yeah. I’ll be there in a minute,” he says a little put off by her abruptness.

“I can meet you in the lobby. I’d rather not do another elevator ride, I don’t have enough vodka,” she says and then hangs up.

“What the hell?” Steve demands looking at the phone. He gets up and heads out.

Chase is waiting for him in the lobby as she promised. There’s still a flush to her cheeks, but this isn’t the same.

“How much have you had to drink?” he asks as he descends upon her.

“A few shots to calm my nerves. I’m sober, don’t worry. You’re not my type anyways,” she says with a smile.

“No, but Bucky sure as hell did a number on you.”

“No lie there,” she admits. “Wasn’t expecting to have the elevator doors open and see him standing there,” she adds as they head outside into the heat. Steve hails a cab and they climb in.

“He wants to know why I didn’t introduce him to you,” Steve says after a few moments of silence.

“That was kind of awkward. The whole elevator ride was fucking awkward, but that didn’t help.”

“I didn’t even think about it,” Steve says thoughtfully. “I guess I just went off the fact that you knew who he was based on how badly you were blushing.”

“Fuck off,” Chase says with a small laugh. “I was caught off guard.”

“Clearly. I’m surprised you two haven’t crossed paths before this.”

“This was the first I left the room to explore areas other than the lobby, the penthouse or my own hallway, Steve. I was looking for Rhodey.”

“For what?”

“To try and save you the trip out.”

“I already told you I would go, Chase. It’s not a big deal.”

“Tony didn’t want me bothering you. For obvious reasons.”

“I really wish he’d at least try to move past this with Bucky,” Steve sighs heavily. 

“I know, Cap. But try and put yourself in his shoes. He knows Bucky couldn’t help what he did, but he still associates Buck with murdering his parents. It’s a catch 22 for them both.”

They stay silent for the next few moments. The cabby pulls up in front of the store and barks the charge at them. Steve pays the driver and gets shitty looks from Chase for doing so

“I could have paid. Stop being chivalrous,” she says coldly. He cocks an eyebrow at her.

“I didn’t mean to offend your delicate sensibilities,” he fires back. Chase stops in her tracks and gives him a harsh look. Steve gives her his best smile and Chase cracks. 

“You’re an ass,” she says unable to keep from smiling. 

“Yeah, Buck tells me that, too,” he says completely unphased by her comment.

“Maybe there’s some truth to it since he’s telling you that, too,” she teases. 

“Nope.”

“Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt, Steve,” Chase sings to him as she heads inside and grabs a cart. He shakes his head at her, laughing at her antics. 

Steve ends up pushing the card because Chase keeps walking away from it to inspect items on the shelves. 

“I hate shopping with dames,” he grouses as he leans on the cart. 

“Why’s that, Cap?” she asks searching for something else on a shelf. 

“We’ve been in here forever,” he groans. Chase grabs the item she’s looking for and drops it in the cart. 

“You need a nap. You’re cranky.”

“No.”   


“Okay,” she says with a laugh. “But we’ve barely been here twenty minutes, you big baby.”

“Ugh…”

“Oh, for god’s sake,” she chides, “lets go.” 

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she says with a laugh. “This place is elbows and assholes anyway. I need to get the hell out of here.”

“Elbows and assholes,” Steve repeats with a smirk. 

“That lady in the red cape nearly ran us over twice with her cart,” Chase states.

“It’s a shawl and she’s like a hundred.”

Chase stops and gives Steve a very amused look. 

“You’d know…”

“Shut it,” he laughs. “Get in line, smartass.”

Chase gives him her sweetest smile and steps into line.

Steve throws the stuff into bags as the cashier rings them up. Chase pays and the two head out with her groceries. 

“Thanks for coming along,” she says as Steve hails them a cab. 

“No problem,” he replies as a cab pulls up to the curb. They climb in and the cab pulls into oncoming traffic cutting off a box truck and two other cabs. Steve is unphased.

“Jesus Christ,” Chase hisses looking out of the back window. The box truck driver can clearly be seen  yelling at them and making wild hand gestures.

“Not like at home?” Steve jokes. 

“The 495 in Virginia and the Atlanta Metro area, yes.”

“Southern girl?” Steve muses.

“Yeah, but I don’t have the beautiful southern drawl.”

“You sure about that?”

“Listen here, wise ass…”

“Oh yeah,” Steve says with a comical grin, “there it is.”

“Goddamn nasally New Yorker,” she grumbles.

“Now wait a damn minute,” Steve protests.

“Yup. There it is.”

Steve gives Chase the stink eye and she laughs at him. He grins and shakes his head. 

“What do you want me to tell Bucky?”he asks after they’d been quiet for several minutes. 

“About what?”   


“You.”

“Ah. That’s on you, Cap. You know how Tony will feel about that.”

“He told Natasha. I can tell Buck,” Steve states in his defense.

“But I can’t talk to anyone. That’s real fucking fair,” Chase growls. 

“Don’t take it like that, dollface. If you don’t want me to tell Buck then I won’t.”

Chase sighs. “I’m not concerned about myself, Steve. How’s he going to take it? What the hell happens when and if Tony finds out you told him?”

“I’ll deal with the fallout from Tony if there is any, don’t worry,” he promises. 

“I sure as hell hope you know what you’re getting yourself into, Chief.”

“We’ll find out shortly, I guess.”


	37. All That Glitters Isn't Gold, It's Vibranium

Bucky is lazily flipping channels on the TV looking for something to watch. He’s irritated with Steve for not telling him about the girl and definitely for not doing a decent introduction. 

He’s still convinced the reason she seemed so uncomfortable when she saw him was because of his arm. He looks at it, flexing his fingers as he does. This had to be the reason she was so uncomfortable, why she blushed, why she would only glance at him briefly. 

He flexes his fingers again and sighs. She’s a pretty dame, he has to admit that much. Now he’s not just irritated with Steve, he’s mildly jealous. 


	38. Sure You Don't Want To Come Along?

“What are you going to tell Bucky?” Chase asks as she and Steve walk into her apartment. 

“The truth I guess, but I’m not sure how to go about it. It is a headtrip. I can’t help but think that it would be best for him to hear it from you, you know, first hand.”

“Steve,” Chase sighs, “you saw how I reacted to him just in that brief encounter in the elevator. I had to down five shots of vodka to get my shit together.”

“Watching you turn red was entertaining,” Steve teases.

“Piss off.”

“He’s single.”   


“Steve,” Chase warns.

“He’s a really good guy,” Steve persists. 

“Stop,” Chase begs.

“He’d appreciate your wise ass remarks.”

“Are you done?” she asks, smiling despite herself because Steve is being silly. “How about you stick to your original plan and see how he responds?”

“Sure you won’t reconsider?” Steve asks, still trying to goad her into talking to Bucky.

“Want to watch me turn into a puddle of goo before I can say anything?”

“That bad, huh?”


	39. Get The Scotch And Listen

Bucky had nodded off on the couch. He’s rudely awakened by someone pounding on the door.

“Goddammit Steve,” he mutters rolling off the couch to answer the door. He throws open the door and then heads back to the couch and stretches out again.

“Since you’re clearly not up to talking I’ll come back later,” Steve states, letting Bucky know he’s annoyed at his lack of enthusiasm.

“Suite yourself,” Bucky mumbles sleepily.

“Call me when you decide to wake up. I’ll tell you about Chase,” Steve says, hoping that will pull Bucky out of his mood. He leaves the apartment and pulls the door shut behind him. Bucky’s eyes fly open and he’s off the couch and after Steve in an instant.

“Get in here!” he barks down the hall at Steve.

“Thought that would wake you up,” Steve says as he comes back into the apartment.

Bucky studies Steve, trying to decide if Steve’s fucking with him or not.

“I thought you were banned from talking about her?” he asks, not bothering to mask his cynicism.

“She gave me permission, you asshole.”

“Asshole?” Bucky repeats and then grins.

“Yeah, asshole. That’s you.”

“Punk ass.”

“That all you got?” Steve taunts. Bucky laughs.

“No, but I want to hear what you have to say about the blushing dame.”

“The blushing dame, huh? You know, you never answered my question from earlier,” Steve says taking a seat in the leather recliner.

“What question? What are you drinking?”

“Scotch. Did seeing her answer your question?”

Bucky was headed to the breakfast nook when Steve hits him with that question. He stops mid stride and turns around to look at Steve.

“What question?” he asks, genuinely perplexed.

“You asked me when we were out running if she was hot. Did seeing her answer your question?”

Bucky turns back around and heads to the nook to get the Scotch to throw at Steve’s head. He can hear Steve laughing his ass off in the living room.

“You’re a fucking shit,” he snaps coming back into the living room.

“Sure I am,” he says continuing to laugh. Bucky rolls his eyes in disgust.

“What about this girl?” he asks cracking open a Pepsi and sitting down across from Steve.

“Tell me what you thought of her first.”

“What the hell for? What does it matter?” Bucky demands.

“Humor me.”

“No.”

“Well,” Steve says getting up, “I guess I have nothing to say.”

“Sit your ass back down,” Bucky growls. “Why is this so important to you?”

“It just is.”

Bucky mutters curses under his breath. He takes a long drink and sighs.

“She’s pretty, Steve. Big brown eyes, pretty pink lips. Scared shitless of me.”

“Not in the way you think, Buck,” Steve says with a grin.

“What the hell does that mean?”

Steve downs the rest of the Scotch and stares at the empty glass.

“You should get the bottle,” he says after a moment. “And bring yourself a glass.”


	40. This Can't Be Real

Bucky hasn’t said more than two words during Steve’s dissertation. _What_ and _Oh_ were all he’s said. Steve is watching him now trying to get some idea of what Bucky is thinking. Bucky’s brow is furrowed and his hands are clasped between his knees. There is no other discernible emotion about him. This worries Steve. With all Bucky’s been through and then to hear that this girl comes from a world where they don’t exist...add on top of that the amount of knowledge she has about Bucky...Steve has a right to be concerned.

“Buck?”

Bucky looks up at Steve. His blue eyes hard and cold.

“She knows what I did,” he says at long last.

“For the most part, yes.”

Bucky nods his head. Steve sees a flash of pain and fear in his eyes, but it’s gone as quickly as it appeared.

“And we don’t exist?” he asks, his voice trembling just enough that Steve was able to pick up on it.

“Buck, I know it’s a lot to take in,” Steve says gently. “She flipped me out with what she knows about us - you. But she also told me to look at it from her point of view. She didn’t ask to be here. She’s a scared kid with a gutter mouth.”

“Explains why she acted like she did in the elevator,” he says sullenly.

“No, actually it doesn’t,” Steve says. Bucky looks at him, clearly not in the mood for anymore games.

“Did you not see her or was I the only one who noticed how scared she looked?” Bucky snaps.

“Stop!” Steve snaps back. “Know why she knows so much about you, ya pain in the ass? Because she’s interested. Know why she blushed like a schoolgirl? Because she thinks you’re good looking, though I don’t know why.”

Bucky rubs his hand roughly over his chin.

“You believe this fairy tale?” he asks. Steve sighs.

“Yeah. So does Tony and Dr. Strange and even Pepper. Nat saw the surveillance footage of when Chase crashed into our world. I saw the bruises on her arms, Buck. I saw the pain and fear in her eyes when she was telling us about this...and when she spoke about you, Buck.”

“I’m a figment of her imagination,” Bucky huffs. “I don’t exist. What pain is there for her in that?”

Steve sits back in the recliner, shuts his eyes tightly, and sighs.

“She got tossed into a world she didn’t believe existed. A world where the fictional characters she’d grown up on and grown to adore were all too real. She’s acclimating -  trying to. It was as much of a shock to her as it is to us,” Steve explains.

Bucky looks at his left arm.

“Remember when we were younger and I’d pick up the dames and then come get you?”

“Yeah.”

“Remember how you’d always ask me what I told them about you?”

“Where are we going with this, Buck?”

Bucky licks his lips and takes a deep breath.

“You used to ask me a hundred questions about them and I’d tell you all the good stuff, and you’d always give me this shitty look and tell me if it sounds too good to be true then it is.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Steve growls. “Is that what you think?”

“I don’t know, Steve,” Bucky says quietly. “I don’t know.”


	41. Bucky In Her Thoughts

Chase is sprawled out on the sectional listening to music from her cell from her world while the pasta sauce she made simmers in the nook. 

She’s antsy over what Steve is telling Bucky and how Bucky is taking it. Better yet, how’s Tony going to react once he finds out Steve told Bucky. 

“Oh, Bucky,” she whispers. She sits up and rubs her neck. Her thoughts keep going back to those blue eyes and then on to how he’s taking the story. Steve took it sort of well. Tony just accepted it as it was. Bruce had trouble. Rhodey has hidden himself away and she has yet to meet or see Natasha.

But Bucky...Bucky, who based on her interaction with Steve, has in fact, gone through Hell. Bucky, who hasn’t given up the fight, even though he’s tired and alone except for Steve. Bucky, whose blue eyes bear so much hurt. 

Steve told her Bucky was single. She can’t help but wonder if Steve was just tormenting her. 

Her heart aches for Bucky, knowing only a fraction of the pain he’s been through and to still keep going, to keep fighting…

And then to see Tony day in and day out and know that you’re the reason his parents are gone….

Chase gets up and goes to the nook to check on the sauce. 


	42. Is It Worth Knowing?

Bucky sat in his apartment alone. Steve had finally left, but not before giving him Chase’s number. 

“Call her. Tell her you want to talk to her. Judge  for yourself. All I ask is that you remain civil with her. She didn’t ask for this, Buck, regardless of the conclusion you come to,” Steve had said .

Bucky desperately wanted to call her, but he didn’t know what to say. Does he just tell her he doesn’t believe the wild story Steve just told him? That it sounds like a bunch of shit? Demand to know who she’s really working for and how she got information on him? Tell her she’s pretty and try to woo the truth from her?

Bucky picks up the phone and his heart starts to hammer in his chest.

Steve can’t really believe this shit. Steve’s fucking with him, taking this joke a lot further than warranted. Then again, this isn’t like Steve to joke about Bucky’s past. Ever. Steve knows better than anyone how fucking hard this has been for Bucky. Steve fought to get him back, he wouldn’t joke about some random dame knowing Bucky’s backstory. 

Bucky reaches for the phone again. He has to find out for himself. 


	43. This Is Your Early Warning

Steve heads to Chase’s apartment as soon as he leaves Bucky. He wants to forewarn her that he gave Bucky her number and there’s a good chance Bucky may call. He owes her that courtesy, at least. 

Steve still isn’t entirely sure what Bucky is thinking and Bucky went into lockdown mode shortly after Steve told him about Chase. He tried to get Bucky to promise to be civil to the girl, but Bucky promised nothing. 

Steve knocks on Chase’s door and waits. 

“What!” he hears her yell from inside her apartment. 

“Your manners are terrible!” he yells at the door. The door opens and Chase looks at him puzzled. 

“Can I come in?”

“Is Nat going to murder me in my sleep?”

“No. Not in your sleep at least,” he says walking in when she steps aside for him. 

“Good to know, I guess. What’s wrong?”

“So...Bucky….” Steve sighs.

“Oh, no…He didn’t take it well or at all, did he?” she asks. Steve can hear the deep concern for Bucky in Chase’s voice. 

“I don’t know. Hell, I don't even know if he believes me. But that’s not why I stopped by.”

“Please don’t get me killed. That’s very unsporting like of you.”   


“Will you stop?” he says trying to be serious with her. Chase shrugs.

“Sure.”   


“I gave him your number.”

“You did….why?”she demands.

“Because I wanted him to have the option to hear it directly from you, instead of second hand from me or Bruce or anyone else.”

“Did you forget what happened in the elevator? How the hell do you expect me to talk to him when I can’t even talk to him?!”

“Just try. He may not even call.”

“Oh god…”

“He doesn’t bite, Chase.”

Chase is quiet for a few moments. Steve knows she’s nervous, she makes no attempt to hide it, but he also knows she’s got a thing for Bucky.

“Would you stay if he came over?”

“To chaperone? I have a feeling he’ll want to talk to you one on one if he does call,” Steve says, “but if he’s agreeable I’ll stick around,” he adds when he sees the look on Chase’s face.


	44. Phone Call

Bucky calls the number Steve gave him for Chase half expecting it to be a wrong number, half expecting her not to answer. His heart feels like it’s going to pound right out of his chest.

“Hello?”

Her voice is soft coming through the phone and for a split second Bucky forgets how to speak. 

“Chase?”

“Bucky?”

“We need to talk,” he says quickly, cutting right to the chase. 

“So I’ve been told.”

He can hear the emotion in her voice, she doesn’t sound thrilled. His heart hammers a little harder in his chest.

“You free now?”

“Yeah. Can I ask a favor, though?”

He’s caught off guard by this. What could she possibly want or need from him?   


“Bucky?” 

He realizes he hasn’t answered her yet.

“Yeah,” he responds, his voice gruff. That wasn’t his intention to sound that way and he immediately recoils.

Now there’s silence on her end.

“Nothing. Last apartment at the end of the hall. 251.”

“Chase-”

He barely gets her name out when the call is gone. She’d hung up. He didn’t mean to sound the way he did and he regrets not heeding Steve’s warning about being civil. He’s already made her uncomfortable and he hasn’t even set foot in her apartment yet.

“Fuck,” he snarls. He looks at his phone debating on his next move.

 


	45. Don't Let Him Get To You

Based on the look on Chase’s face and the fact that she had flinched when Bucky had responded to her saying his name, things do not look like they will be civil much less pleasant.

“Chase,” Steve begins, but then stops because he doesn’t know what to say.

His phone rings and he knows who it is immediately.

“Meet me at her place, please.”

Steve doesn’t even get a chance to say hello before Bucky  throws the request out.

“I’m already here,” Steve states. “So much for being civil,” he adds, calling Bucky out.

“That’s not how I wanted this to start,” Bucky fires back defensively.  

Steve sighs.

“Look,” Bucky says, “I didn’t mean to come off the way I did. I’m sorry.”

“Just come over, Buck.”

Steve disconnects the call and looks around. Chase isn’t in the living room anymore.

“Chase?”

“Kitchen.”

He heads to the nook where Chase is stirring a pot of something.

“Smells good.”

“I was going to make lasagna.”

“Past tense?”

“I don’t feel like making it now much less eating it.”

“Don’t let him get to you. Remember, he’s been through some shit and sometimes his way of dealing is to be like this,” Steve explains.

“I get it,” she says, but Steve can see she’s more nervous now than before.


	46. Clean Up

Bucky cleans up as quickly as possible in an effort to make himself somewhat presentable. He didn’t mean to take a tone with the dame with the pretty pink lips and he’s kicking himself about it still. He knows Steve’s pissed at him and that only makes things worse, but at least Steve is there and hopefully that will help ease her mind and his, if only a little.

He looks at his reflection in the mirror, his arm shimmers in the lights over the sink. He cringes a bit, remembering how he used to look when he was whole. Chase wouldn’t have stood a chance with the old Bucky. He’d have laid on the charm and she’d have been in his arms before the elevator doors opened again.

He grunts and pushes the thought away. Steve says she was interested even knowing what she does. And that brings on another conundrum - is she really who Steve thinks she is? Time to find out.


	47. He's Here, She's Here...

Steve is still in the nook with Chase who has pulled a Bucky move and walled herself off. She hasn’t said much since she hung up on Bucky and what she has said has been one word answers to Steve’s questions. 

There’s a knock at the door. Both Steve and Chase look in that direction then at each other. Chase goes back to slowly stirring the sauce. Steve shakes his head and goes to answer the door.

Bucky seems surprised to see Steve answer the door instead of Chase.

“She’s in the kitchen,” Steve says letting him in. 

“Steve, I didn’t mean to-”

“I know, Buck,” Steve says giving him a friendly smile and patting his shoulder. Bucky takes a big whiff of the air.

“She’s cooking?”

“Making sauce for lasagna,” Steve says leading him to the sectional. 

“Smells amazing,” Bucky says, his mouth watering. 

“Let me go get her. Just be civil. She’s a nice girl, Buck,” Steve says heading to the breakfast nook. Bucky looks around the living room. The design is all the same, but she’s added her personal touches here and there and made it look more like home. 

His stomach growls begging for food and he remembers that he hasn’t eaten yet today. The smell of the pasta sauce is only exacerbating his hunger. She must be a hell of a cook. 

He rubs his left arm nervously, trying to work through how to approach this with her. He needs answers, but he doesn’t want to be an asshole and alienate the girl with the dark brown eyes and pretty pink lips. 

Steve walks into the kitchen where Chase is still fussing with the sauce. 

“Chase,” he says gently, “come talk to him. Tell it like you told Tony and I that night.”

“I was drinking and you were only mildly hostile and that was only when Bucky was mentioned.”

“He’s scared, too, Chase. Don’t let his tone fool you. He’s taking it better than Bruce, but only just.”

Chase sighs and covers the sauce with a lid. She turns the heat down to simmer and takes a deep breath. 


	48. You're Such A Shit

Chase is nerve wracked with the Bucky thing. She has to keep telling herself that while she knows some of what he’s gone through, she doesn’t  _ know him _ . The actors in her world that portray them  can only do so much in a nearly three hour long flick. 

Steve and Tony are prime examples of this. Their true personalities have shone through more than she would have ever imagined and endeared themselves to her. 

Bucky, though...she had set up this idea of how he would be, imagined what he would really be like. She’s wondering now just how far off base she is with him and this makes it even harder to know how to handle this.

“There’s soda in the fridge and vodka in the freezer if you want. Ask him if wants anything,” she says to Steve. Steve nods and disappears into the living room. 

Chase can hear the two boys talking but can’t make out what they’re saying. Steve comes back and smiles.

“Nat catches you grinning like that at me and we’re both dead,” she says in an effort to make a joke. Steve’s smile broadens.

“Meh, just tell her I’m not your type,” he says opening the fridge and grabbing sodas for he and Bucky. 

“Yeah. Tony says you’re too pure for me.”

Steve freezes and looks at Chase bemusedly.

“Pure,” he mutters. “Whatever. You coming out or what?”

“Let me get a drink. I’ll be out,” she says, smirking at Steve’s chagrin at being called pure. 

“Deep breath, dollface. I’ll be here. He’s not the asshole he comes off to be,” Steve promises. Chase smiles uneasily and watches Steve head back out to the living room. She grabs a glass and fills it ¾ full of vodka before adding the cranberry juice to it. 

“Deep breath,” she whispers to herself. She grabs the glass and goes to the living room. 

Bucky is seated at one end of the sectional and Steve is on the other. Bucky looks up at her, the bottle of Pepsi cradled between his legs. His blue eyes flash with fear and concern, but the emotions are fast and fleeting. She catches herself staring at him, forces herself to blink and sit down. She can feel the heat in her cheeks already.

“Since he insisted I never introduced him properly….Chase, this shaggy looking piece of work is Bucky,” Steve says breaking the ice. She looks at him and he gives her a shy smile.

Chase takes a long drink from her glass, her hands are shaking. Bucky can see this and feels like shit.    


“I’m sorry I came across the way I did,” he says softly, looking down at the floor. “I just need to hear this fairytale from your side.”

“Fairytale?” Chase repeats looking up from her glass.

“Oh no,” Steve groans.

“You have to admit, doll, what Steve told me is more than a little far fetched.”

“I see. But aliens, space stones, weird guys who open portals to god knows where, hidden countries in Africa, that’s all normal.”

“Chase,” Steve warns, “easy does it.”

“Let her go, Steve,” Bucky says watching Chase. The color in her cheeks is back, but not because she’s embarrassed. He’s hit a nerve with her and put her on the defensive. He’s not entirely sure what he’s going for here, but he’s going to follow his instincts and let this play out now. 

“I didn’t say that, doll,” Bucky replies keeping his voice soft, but his tone firm.

Chase looks at him, head tilted to the side, eyes full of fire.

“Civil,” Steve says to himself because he knows the other two aren’t going to listen.

“I’m glad to see I was wrong about at least one person in this fucked up ‘verse I’ve gotten myself trapped in,” she growls then takes another long drink. The glass is nearly empty now. Bucky flinches a little. Steve shoots him the patented “this is what you get” look. 

“Tell me what happened, Chase.”

“Sure, let me just spill my guts to you even though you’ve clearly made up your mind that I’m full of shit and Steve is a fucking fool for believing me.” Her words are like venom and Bucky takes the full bite of the poison. Steve shakes his head. He gets up and takes Chase’s glass.

“Vodka?”

“There’s cranberry juice in the fridge.”

“You sure you want to waste the glass space?” he jokes hoping she’ll back down a little. He reminds her of those wildlife videos of the tigers when they get cornered, claws out and fangs bared.

“Use your best judgment. Since you haven’t done so prior to this with me,” she answers taking another shot at Bucky. Steve looks at Bucky who’s shaking his head, but there’s a grin on his face. Bucky’s up to something and Steve isn’t sure what the hell to think now. Steve looks to Chase then back to Bucky, hopes they don’t kill each other and heads to the kitchen.

“You got some fire to you, doll,” Bucky remarks, toying with the cap on the soda bottle.

“You’re a sadistic prick.”

“Nah, baby, just worried that maybe you’re not who you say you are and Steve’s too damn dumb to see it. He’s all I’ve got left.”

Any fire she had in her eyes is quickly extinguished. She looks at him, watching him toy with the cap, her heart suddenly breaking. 

“Bucky…”

He looks up at her, his blue eyes showing the pain and fear, but only for an instant. 

“You know a lot about me, doll. Things that people shouldn’t know, don’t have access to. Things that could get Steve hurt. Or me. Or the pretty girl with the big brown eyes, pretty pink lips and a fiery attitude.”

“Steve told me you were single. I’ll beat his fucking ass later.”

Bucky smirks then starts to laugh. Chase can’t help herself and starts to laugh, too. 

“You’re a goddamn pistol, doll.”

Steve walks in to the two of them chuckling and hands Chase her pale pink drink.

“Touch of cranberry,” he says in the most demure voice he can muster. Bucky looks over at him in mock disgust which makes Chase snort and nearly choke on the sip she’d just taken.

“You alright, Chase?” Steve asks. 

“Yeah,” she says, the smile still on her lips. 

“Want to talk to me now, baby?” Bucky asks, offering her a warm smile. Chase can’t help but blush. He’s got those looks and that goddamn smile that can melt hearts and soak panties.

“Will you be civil and listen to her without being an asshole?” Steve ask mostly as a joke.

Bucky looks at Chase, tilts his head to the side a little trying to get her to look up at him. She does, looks into his eyes and then looks away. She takes a deep breath and begins.


	49. It Sucks Knowing He Does’t Believe You

“I told Steve and Tony and Pepper this story already. I’m going to try and shorten it as much as possible, because he’s already told you the majority of it, I guess,” she says as she swirls the contents of her glass.

“Fair enough,” Bucky says, watching her fidget. She’s uncomfortably nervous and he can see her hands are still shaking slightly. He’s tempted to slide next to her and take her hand, but he can’t. He can’t because there’s still that chance that this girl is playing the biggest scam on them, that she’s a threat. He can’t because even though he’s made her blush and made her laugh, he’s too self conscious to make a move.

“You told him about the crash?” Chase asks Steve.

“Yeah. What you told me.”

“I want to hear it from you, doll,” Bucky tells her.

She’s quiet for a moment. He studies her face, the side he can see. She’s looking at the floor, chewing on her bottom lip. 

“I was on my way home from work. There was a lightning strike I guess. My car took the hit. I panicked, put my arms up to shield my face and I guess crashed. I woke up in the med unit here.”

“That’s all you remember before waking up here?” He asks.

“There was a loud boom like a super loud clap of thunder.”

Steve raises his eyebrows and looks past Chase to Bucky who is nodding his head slowly. 

“Tell me what you know about me and Steve, baby,” he says. He moves a little in his seat and she directs her attentions to him. This is what he wanted. He wants to see her whole face, not just the side. He wants to look into those big brown eyes to see if there’s any doubt, any unease,  any sign that she’s being dishonest with him. He searches her eyes and sees only the raw honesty and pain from having to relive the crash again, and from his distrust of her. 

“I’ve known about El Capitan for years,” she admits, then looks over at Steve who gives her that big brother smile. “But only because I’m a fan of Wolverine - Logan.”

Bucky looks over at Steve.

“I recognize that name,” he says.

“Short guy, funky attitude. Canadian, wild looking hair,” Steve explains. Bucky thinks about this for a moment. He can feel Chase’s eyes on him. The urge to flex the muscles in his arms and chest hits him, to show off a little, give her something to look at. He fights it. It’s been too long since he’s been in the company of a pretty girl like this. His stomach growls fiercely.

“Jesus Christ, what the hell?” Steve laughs.

“I’m starved,” Bucky admits. “Haven’t eaten today.”

“Why? Are you okay?” Chase demands. She’s worried about him, genuinely worried. His heart flutters a bit and he looks down at the floor.

“I’m good, doll. Just hungry.”

“I have sauce going . It won’t take long to put the lasagna together. I can do that now, and you can piss me off with your questions while I do it. If you get that mad at my answers Steve will bring you some when it’s finished baking,” she offers. Bucky looks up and he can’t help but grin. She’s making the gesture of goodwill, but still making offhand remarks so it doesn’t seem so evident. 

“You don’t have to do that, baby. I’ll be alright-“

“For god’s sake, Buck, she’s offering you a meal. Stop being an asshole.”

Bucky flips Steve off and gives him a cold look.

“It’s’ your call,” Chase says. “I can make you a sandwich or some eggs if you don’t want to wait on the lasagna.”

Bucky doesn’t know what to do with her. He’s still trying to hold onto the fact that this is very likely a sham, but she’s made every effort to show him he’s wrong  _ and  _  she’s offering to feed him. He stays quiet. 

“Bucky,” she says softly. 

“Alright, baby. A sandwich. I can make it, just show me-“

“Come on, you big baby,” she teases as she gets up. Steve’s grinning like an idiot at him and Bucky shakes his head. He follows Chase into the nook. The smell of the sauce is intensified tenfold in here and his stomach bitches even louder now. 

“You sound like you swallowed a fucking T-Rex,” she says pulling bread, cold cuts and cheese from the fridge. He laughs as he takes a seat on the stool in front of the tiny kitchen island. 

“I didn’t realize how loud I was, doll,” he says with a grin. Steve is leaning on the doorway watching Chase spread out stuff on the island for Bucky.

“You want anything, smart ass, or are you just going to watch him eat?” She asks Steve. 

“Ha,” Bucky grunts. 

“I remembered to eat because I’m not a shithead,” Steve retorts. Chase snickers.

“Sure about that, punk?”

“Yeah. Real sure.”

“What do you want on your sandwich, honey?” Chase asks. As soon as she calls him  _ honey _ she looks up in horror. “I’m sorry.”

“For what? Mayo, please,” he says trying not to grin too much at the slip up. She doesn’t answer him, just starts putting a sandwich together for him. She cuts it diagonally in half, puts it on a plate and pushes it towards him. 

“Thanks, doll,” he says. He devours the sandwich in just a few bites. Chase seems impressed.

“Still hungry?” She asks, getting ready to make him another sandwich.

“Chase, don’t. This was enough,” he protests, feeling like a heel. She shrugs as she puts another sandwich together for him. 

“You guys are comic book superheroes. Even you, Bucky, with your past. Steve is, as far as I’m concerned, the more well known. The goddamn shield is like a staple of Americana in my world. I never cared for him or his story or anything Avengers related. Like I said, I only know of Steve because of my infatuation with Logan.”

“She’s got a thing for mutants,” Steve says walking over to the stove and lifting the lid on the sauce pot.

“Are you serious with yourself?” Chase demands. “Get out of that!”

“It smells good.”

“He’s right,” Bucky mumbles through a mouthful of sandwich. 

“You want to taste it? Will you leave it be if you get to taste it?” Chase says trying to bat Steve away from the stove.

“Yes,” the boys answer together.

“Asshats,” Chase grumbles. She gets a spoon for each of them. “Come here, you,” she says motioning to Steve. He steps up, she hands him the spoon and he grabs as much as the spoon will hold and plops it in his mouth.

“This is good!” He says smacking his lips. Chase rolls her eyes and smiles. He’s a big kid if nothing else.

“Want some?” She asks, turning to Bucky. Bucky is licking his fingers having just finished off the second sandwich. He nods his head and comes around the island to stand next to her. He’s close enough he can pick up the faint scent of either her perfume or the soap she uses and it’s causing reactions he chooses to ignore for the moment. She hands him the spoon and he sinks it into the slow bubbling red sauce. He takes a hefty spoonful and plugs the spoon in his mouth. He was right, she’s a damn good cook. This shit is fantastic.

“That good?” She laughs when he’s still standing at the stove with the spoon hanging out of his mouth. 

Bucky grins sheepishly and pulls the spoon from his mouth. 

“It’s delicious, baby,” he says putting the spoon in the sink and then grabbing his plate off the island. She made him lunch, he’s at least going to make an effort to clean up after himself. He sees a momentary flash of color on her cheeks when he calls her baby. He likes it, but she’s getting better at hiding it.

“Where were we?” She asks.

“Your thing for mutants,” Bucky says pushing Steve away from the stove and taking the spoon from him. 

“Oh yeah...so, I discovered Logan or Wolverine or whatever you want to call him and just started getting involved in the universe that way. I learned about the guy who supposedly dreamt all you up - Stan Lee - and for years it was just the comics and an occasional movie about the X-Men,” she says with a shrug. “It wasn’t until years later that the first Ironman movie came out that the MCU was born and became totally mainstream.”

“MCU?” Bucky repeats. “Stay in here or go to the living room?”

“Where are you most comfortable?” She asks turning the question back to him.

“Living room,” Steve answers for them both. They head out to the living room, Steve leading, Chase in the middle and Bucky following, admiring the sway and swish of her hips and how the jeans contour to her ass. 

“Admiring the view?” Steve quips when he sits down and sees Bucky eyeing Chase. Chase looks over her shoulder at Bucky who just managed to look up in time. He grins that bashful grin and Chase shakes her head and sits down. He sees she’s smiling and that momentary flush of color is back. Bucky takes his original seat.

“MCU,” he repeats. 

“Marvel Cinematic Universe. Somebody got the idea to create a shit ton of movies involving Tony and Steve and the rest of you guys. I didn’t give a shit when they came out. Like I told Steve and Tony, I wasn’t interested. I was still hunting for information and fangirling over Gambit and Logan and Magneto…”

Chase looks over at Bucky and sees what she assumes to be impatience on his face. He’s actually jealous that she’d find Magneto worthy of her time and not him. 

“Keep going,” Steve urges. He leans back and shoots Bucky a look. 

“Okay...I...sorry, I got sidetracked, Bucky,” she says quickly. 

“You’re alright, doll-“

“No, it’s...I’m not going to waste your time, Bucky. I watched a movie that had you and Steve in it. I got curious. I watched the other movies. I made it a point to try and find out what happened with you. Fangirl stuff. I didn’t do this with any malevolent intentions. I didn’t….you aren’t supposed to be real, but here I am stuck in this world telling you a story that sounds like the biggest bunch of shit and I’m sorry if you don’t believe me. I know what Hydra did, I know you’re dealing with PTSD, I know you two fought in WWII, I know about your arm and going back into cryo to try and get better…”

She says all of this so fast it’s almost a blur of words. He hears the click in her throat when she swallows. She’s looking down at the floor fidgeting with her fingers. 

Bucky sits back on the couch. She doesn’t believe she’s lying, she’s not being fanatical. She does know quite a bit, though. He’s willing to bet there’s more still, but she’s scared now, even with Steve sitting next to her, she’s scared. 

Steve’s phone starts going off then Bucky’s. They both pull their phones out and exchange glances.

“We’ve got to go, dollface,” Steve says getting up quickly. She looks at him long enough to nod her head then back at the floor. Steve looks at Bucky and gives a quick head jerk trying to get him to say something to her. Bucky opens his mouth to say something, but as soon as he does both of their phones start going off again.

“Shit,” he growls and heads to the door. Steve throws his hands up in exasperation.

“We’ll talk when I get back,” Steve says quickly as he follows Bucky out of the apartment. 

“Yeah,” she says, wiping at her eyes as soon as the door is shut. 

 


	50. Tony's Home

Tony and Pepper are sitting in the lounge area of the penthouse looking over documents regarding Stark Industries when Tony gets a call from Peter. 

“Kid.”

“Mr. Stark, sir, I have a problem.”

“You broke the suit, didn’t you?”

“No, sir.”

“You broke Karen?”

“No, sir.”

“What did you break?”

“Tony, stop it,” Pepper scolds.

“I...I’m failing English, Mr. Stark. I’m trying to get help, but I’m kind of...you know...I can’t always stick around and…”

“Yeah, I get it, kid. Let me see what I can do. I may have a solution.”

“Thank you, Mr. Stark!”

“Yeah.”

“What was that about?” Pepper asks, only mildly interested.

“Kid’s failing English. He’s asking for a tutor or someone to do his homework for him.”

“Tony Stark, don’t you dare pay someone to do his work for him!”

“You’re not making this easy,” Tony teases. Pepper shoots him a look. 

“Have you talked to Chase since we came back?” Pepper asks.

“No. I need to check on her. Make sure she didn’t get involved with any undesirables”

“You can’t keep her from him forever, Tony. They live on the same floor.”

“He can be moved out.”

“And Steve? Are you going to evict him, too?”

“Maybe,” Tony pouts.

“Call Chase,” she says laughing at him.

Tony dials her number and waits. There’s no answer. He looks at Pepper, cocks an eyebrow and tries again. 

“Hello?”

“You okay, kiddo?” Tony asks immediately worried by the sound of Chase’s voice. Pepper looks up from her paperwork.

“I’m okay, Starky. You and Pepp make it home okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll be up in a few,” Tony says disconnecting the call.

“What’s wrong? Is she okay?” Pepper asks.

“She says she is, but the sound of her voice says otherwise.”

“Go check on your little sister.”

Tony kisses Pepper on the cheek and heads to the elevators. She hasn’t sounded this miserable in a few weeks and he’s concerned something has happened.

He gets off on the floor for the apartments and speed walks to Chase’s door. He knocks hard three times and waits.

“It’s open.”

“You shouldn’t do that. Bunch of unsavory characters in this area,” he says walking in and closing the door behind him. “What happened?” He demands as soon as he sees her face. He knows she’s been crying.

“Homesick,” she lies. 

“Chase, really?” He asks, not believing her. 

“Yeah,” she says sniffling over a laugh. “Just got to thinking about some shit and then this happened. I’m okay. I promise.”

Tony sits next to her on the sectional. 

“Smells like you were cooking something.”

“I wanted lasagna.”

“How’d it turn out?”

“I just made the sauce and then stuck it in the fridge.”

“We’re not going to do the whole self pity thing again, are we?” Tony asks, hoping he can antagonize from her sour mood.

“No. I’ll be alright. I’m just tired, Starky. I’m going to probably get cleaned up and pass out watching a movie,” she says with a forced smile. 

“Tomorrow you’re having breakfast with Pepper and I.”

“If you say so.”

“I have a favor to ask, but I’ll ask when you’re in a better mood,” he says getting up. This piques her curiosity. 

“What?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Goddammit, Tony,” she growls.

“There she is,” he laughs. Chase glares at him. 

“You’re a dick,” she says trying not to laugh at him.  

“Pepper doesn’t complain about that.”

“Jesus fucking Christ! Seriously?”

“Now you know how I feel when you’re staring at Steve’s crotch,” Tony retorts and then laughs when Chase’s jaw drops in shock. 

“I fucking loathe you,” she grumbles and then cracks up laughing. 

“You set yourself up for that, kiddo.”

“Eat a dick,” she laughs. “What’s your favor?”

“You know who Peter Parker is?”


	51. Stuck On A Feeling

Bucky sits on the Quinjet lost in his own thoughts. He wasn’t paying attention to the mission briefing Nat was giving. Didn’t see Sam giving him shitty looks. He was thinking about Chase and what she had been willing to tell him. He knows that wasn’t all of the story, he knows she’s got more information. He thinks about those beautiful brown eyes, those tempting curves,  her soft pink lips that he imagines would be heaven to kiss…

“BUCK!” Steve yells. Bucky looks up at Steve, not pleased about the interruption to his thoughts.

“You in there, Buck?” Nat asks watching him closely.

“What.” It’s not a question, nor was it intended to be.

“Do you plan on pulling your head from your ass and helping or nah?” Sam snaps. Bucky glares at Sam, the low fire burning in his blue eyes makes Sam back down. 

“Recon. Get it and get out, that’s what we’re here for,” Natasha explains quickly.

“Yeah,” Bucky mutters as he grabs the rest of his gear. 

The jet prepares to land and Bucky’s thoughts go back to Chase. He looks at his left arm, ungloved and uncovered. The vibranium is cold and gray, the gold muted in the light of the jet. She didn’t so much as bat a lash when he was over at her place. His arm had been exposed there, like it is now. He clenches his fist on his left hand and sighs. He’s got to get his head straight before they land. Somebody has to keep Steve out of trouble. 


	52. Breakfast And A Fantasy

Chase sits in the sunlit sitting area of the penthouse with Pepper and Tony as they lazily finish eating breakfast. Eggs Benedict, bacon, English muffins, coffee, tea and OJ. Chase is basking in the sun coming in from one of the windows. 

“Why don’t you go out and get some air?” Pepper asks. Chase opens one eye, looks at Pepper, closes her eye and sighs.

“Goddamn cat,” Tony mutters. He throws an orange slice at Chase. 

“No food fights,” Pepper chides.

“I can’t go out without an entourage, Pepp. Besides,” she says sitting up and flinging the orange slice at Tony, “where would I go?”

Tony throws half an English Muffin at Chase. Pepper glares at him…

“What about the beach?” Pepper offers, slapping Tony’s hand when he goes to grab a piece of bacon to throw at Chase. 

“God, I haven’t gone to the beach in fucking years, Pepp,” Chase muses as she launches the English Muffin at Tony’s head. 

“No more food for either of you if you don’t stop,” she warns. Tony and Chase look at her, look at each other and smirk. Tony sends another slice of orange sailing through the air. 

“You’re done,” she says laughing at him. “As for you, Chase, I’m sure Tony could find someone willing to escort a pretty girl to the beach.”

“Escort huh? Sounds illegal,” Chase says playfully. 

“Might calm your hormones a little,” Tony jests.

“Or you could just let me run wild in the hallway.”

“Absolutely not,” he snaps. “No.”

“You need to let that go, Starky.”

“Parents,” he replies defiantly. Pepper and Chase sigh. 

“Tony…”

“No. Not him.”

“Who takes me then? Steve? I’m sure Nat will approve of that.”

“Ugh,” Tony groans. 

“It was a nice thought, Pepper, but there’s no one here that’s available. Nor should they be forced to babysit me,” Chase says getting up and stretching.

“If you could go to the beach, where would you go?” Pepper persists. 

“Wildwood.”

“Fucking New Jersey. Of course,” Tony grumbles. “Can’t pick Hawaii or Cabo or The Keys, noooo we have to go to Jersey.”

“Are you done?” Chase asks. 

“Why there?”

“I grew up going to the boardwalk and beach there. It’s nostalgic. Fuck off, Starky,” she finishes with a laugh when she sees Tony mocking her talking. “Pepper’s gonna kick your ass.”

“No she won’t,” he says straightening up and looking at Pepper for confirmation. Pepper just smiles coyly. 

“What do you want me to do with Parker?” Chase asks changing the subject. Tony puts his hands behind his head and shakes his head.

“Know anything about English?”

“Passed with flying colors in highschool and college.”

“Think you could get the kid on the right track?”

“I guess.”   


“I’ll pay you.”

“Yeah, because you haven’t done enough, right?” Chase asks sarcastically.    


“You wanted a job, kiddo, here you go. Help the kid, make money tutoring. You earned it and you don’t have to feel like you’re not doing anything.”

Chase looks at Pepper for confirmation. Pepper smiles and nods her head. 

“When?” Chase asks. 

“When he’s available. You know with the whole thing about him trying to be a superhero in his pajamas.”

“Uh huh. And you don’t encourage that at all, right?” Chase asks.

“Nope.”

Pepper rolls her eyes.

“Give him my number, tell him to call me when he wants to set something up and I’ll help him as best I can.”

“It’ll be here. You know the rules, Chase,” Tony reminds her. 

“Which is why I can’t go to the beach, Pepp,” Chase says with a sad smile. “Thanks for breakfast. I’ll see you later, Starky,” she says heading for the door.

“Got plans for the day?” he calls after her.

“Laundry. Maybe putting the lasagna together,” she answers before disappearing from view. 

She heads back to her place and looks out the window at the hazy New York skyline. She hasn’t heard from Steve or seen him so she’s assuming that they’re still wherever that phone call took them to. 

She’s still torn and confused about Bucky. He intentionally pushed her buttons to get her to snap at him then broke her heart with what he said about Steve, then flirted with her and made her laugh, then got impatient when she was trying to recount her side of the story, and then he just ran out of her place without so much as saying good-bye, fuck off, bye Felicia….

She has no idea if he believed anything she told him.  What she does know is that she is more than just a little physically attracted to him. Being in close proximity to him by the stove when he was tasting the pasta sauce, she would have given anything for him to wrap his arms around her and bury his face in her neck then pull her closer to him till there was no space between them…

Chase stops and takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. Tony’s right, she needs to get laid. It’s a damn shame James Buchanan Barnes doesn’t seem overly interested in her. 


	53. Sore, Tired and Lonely

It’s late when Sam, Natasha, Steve and Bucky finally get back to the tower. It’s been a shitty four days and they are all exhausted, bitchy and Sam and Bucky are hurt. Sam got clipped from the air and fell hard, breaking his collarbone and Bucky took the brunt of a vehicle impact that was meant for Steve. If it hadn’t been for his arm and Steve’s shield he’d be dead. 

Nat and Steve escort the two wounded ones to medical where they are separated. Sam goes one direction, Bucky another.

“Go to bed, punk. Take Red with you. Fuck her brains out. Somebody should be getting laid tonight,” Bucky jokes as the medic tries to help him out of the leather chest piece. Every inch of his body hurts like Hell and he growls at the medic when Bucky’s right arm gets moved in a less than comparable way. 

“You sure you’re good?” Steve asks for the hundredth time. 

“Yeah.”   


“Text me when you roll out of bed,” Steve says tiredly. Bucky gives him a half-assed salute and Steve leaves the room. 

It’s hours later and Bucky is finally on the elevator back to his own apartment - sore, tired and lonely. His mind wanders as the elevator slowly ascends. He wonders what Chase has been up to the last several days. If she’s mad that he didn’t say goodbye. It wasn’t until Steve pointed out what he’d done while they were on their way home that he realized he’d been a fucking dick to her. She had been more than civil with him, even when he’d pushed her into that corner and she’d come back hissing and biting like a venomous snake. He’d made her laugh and seemed to have made peace with her. She made him something to eat, offered to make lasagna for him and have Steve bring it to him. And he’d just run out the goddamn door without saying a word. He’s wishing now he’d said something -  _ anything  _ \- before he’d left. He doesn’t even care about the rest of what she knows. She’s telling the truth about how she got here, he knows that now. He’s wishing he could call her and talk to her. Hear that soft voice, tell her he’s home…

The elevator comes to a stop and the door opens. Bucky steps off the elevator and looks down the hall in the direction of Chase’s apartment. He realizes he has his phone in his hand, his finger pressed on the call button under her name. He freezes then slowly puts the phone away. It’s almost 4am. If he hadn’t alienated her before, calling her at this hour was sure to seal the deal. 


	54. Daydreams And Cold Showers

Chase walks into her apartment after going for a swim in the olympic size pool Tony has housed in the tower. This place is self sufficient and she’s pretty sure she’s seen this shit in a bad horror movie before. Very Cronenberg. 

She shudders and pulls the towel from around her waist. The smell of chlorine is potent on her and is an assault on her nose all of the sudden. She sees the light on her cell Tony gave her flashing. Two missed calls and a text. One of the calls is from Steve, which means he must be back. The other is from a number she doesn’t recognize. She checks the text. It’s from Parker. 

_ Hi this is Peter mr stark told me to msg u abt helpoing me w my english. Plz call me. _

She laughs at the short text, the horrible spelling and the lack of respect for messaging someone he doesn’t know. This kid’s gonna be a trip, she thinks. She calls the number back.

“Hello? Hi?”

“Hey, Peter, this is Chase. Mr. Stark told me you’d call.”   


“Hi, Miss Chase, ma’am! Yeah, I need some help with my English class I’m bombing so bad,” he says quickly. 

“I’ll do what I can, Peter,” she says with a small laugh. “When is a good time for you to come over?”

“To your place?” His voice just went up an octave. Chase has to bite her lip to keep from telling this kid he’s jail bait and she’s not going to be the one to corrupt him. 

“I was thinking one of the nine hundred sitting areas Tony has here in the tower. Like the one on the 14th floor at the end of the hall.”

“Oh! Oh yeah! Okay!” he agrees. “Today? I have time in like an hour?”

“Sounds good, kid. See you there. Bring your books and any assignments you have, okay?”

“Will do! Thanks!” he says hanging up. Chase shakes her head. He sounds so much younger than the version Toby played in her world. Tony said the kid is in high school. Toby’s Spiderman was in college. Was there a reboot of the franchise she wonders as she heads to the shower. She can’t remember. She strips and steps in the shower so she can get rid of the harsh chlorine smell. 

The hot water is a godsend on her skin and the smell of her favorite body wash soon overtakes the pool smell. Her mind drifts and loops its way back to Bucky in that sweat soaked t-shirt on the elevator that clung to him. The tight fighting t-shirt he wore to her place, the cerulean blue setting off his eyes. The way he smelled when he was standing next to her, the way he moved, the way he smiled….

She whines unintentionally and the sound snaps her out of her daze. She turns the hot water back till it’s nearly non-existent now. 

“He didn’t even have the fucking courtesy to look at me before he left. Get a goddamn grip. He’s not remotely interested,” she mutters as she shivers under the cold water. 

She steps out of the shower, teeth chattering and grabs a towel. She looks at her phone and realizes she’s been in the shower daydreaming a hell of a lot longer than she should have been. The kid is going to be here momentarily and it’s like a ten minute hike to get to that stupid lounge area. 

Chase hastily dries off and gets dressed. She doesn’t have time to dry and straighten her hair like she normally does which only leaves her with the option of putting some leave-conditioner in her hair and grabbing a hair tie for when the natural curls and waves start getting unruly. 

She grabs her phone and runs out of the apartment hoping that Peter doesn’t bail because she isn’t waiting on him. 


	55. Those Second Thoughts Will Get You Every Time

Bucky called Steve when he finally woke up. He was barely able to move, his body was that stiff. Still sore, but more stiff now. This wasn’t going to be a good day. 

Steve harassed him till Bucky  agreed to go grab breakfast with he and Nat at Nat’s favorite little hole in the wall diner. 

“You’re moving like you’re a hundred,” Nat had teased.

“Guess what? I am,” he replied with a smirk. “So’s lover boy.”

This had made Nat laugh. 

When they’d finished eating Nat and Steve went their way and Bucky headed back to the tower. He didn’t want to be the fifth wheel with them again. Natasha was getting tired of that, he was sure of it. Hell, he was tired of it, too. 

“Either call her or don’t. Stop looking at your phone,” Steve had told him before they parted ways. Bucky had just grunted in response. 

Bucky looks at his phone for the umpteenth time trying to decide if he should call Chase or not. Every time he’s gotten close, he’s panicked and put the phone down. He flips to her number once more and his thumb hovers over the call icon. He can’t do it. He can’t come to grips with the idea she may be mad at him and that he may have fucked himself over. She could have been fun. He could have listened to her talk for hours, her voice was warm and sweet when she was calm. He could have just sat with her in his arms, holding her tight, running his fingers through her hair. He could have done a lot of things if he hadn’t somehow made her feel like shit and then just run out the damn door without saying a word. 

“Fuck,” he mutters. He stands up, shoves the phone in his pants pocket. He’s getting sore from sitting on the couch in one position. He gets up, stretches and heads out of the apartment. Maybe he should just go see her. If he just shows up, he’ll be able to tell by the look on her face if they’re okay and if he can try and patch this up and maybe, if nothing else, have someone other than Steve to chill with. Maybe if he’s  _ really _ goddamn lucky she’ll make good on her threat about the lasagna. And maybe, just maybe, if he plays his cards right, he’ll get close enough to put his arm around her. And truth be told, he’d give anything to hold her. 

His body has already decided that they’re going to Chase’s before his brain has actually had a chance to decide if this is a good idea or not. He finds himself at her door where he stands quietly trying to muster the courage to knock. 

He’s not pre war Bucky anymore. Not the guy who’d walk up to the pretty dames, woo them with a smile and some horrible line and get them to follow him all over New York. No, he’s only a fraction of who he used to be. A man still trying to put his life back together after having everything ripped from him. A man who doesn’t sleep for shit most nights because he’s haunted by the things he’s done. A man who is convinced he’ll never find anyone other than Steve who will accept him for who and what he is now. 

His heart is pounding and his palms are sweaty. He wipes his hands on his jeans and takes a deep breath. She’s a pretty dame. He’d like to get to know her. 

He knocks on the door and braces for what’s to come, but there’s no answer. He relaxes a bit, tilts his head a little and listens. No sounds from inside. He straightens his head and knocks again, a little harder this time. Still no answer. To say he’s disappointed would be an understatement. He really wanted to see Chase, even if it was just to find out she’s pissed off at him. That would have been something. He could have busted Steve’s balls till Steve was able to smooth things over. She likes Steve.  **_She likes Steve._ **

This thought drops on him like a ton of bricks. She was being nice to him, offering him food because Steve was there. She blushed when he called her baby because he made her uncomfortable in front of Steve. She only answered the phone and let him in because Steve was there. 

Bucky’s stomach drops. He backs away from the door, head down and goes back to his own apartment. He should never have entertained the thought that she would be anything more than a passing acquaintance. 

 


	56. Almost Late Meeting Spidey

Chase is out of breath by the time she gets to the lounge on the 14th floor. She’d run down two flights of stairs because the elevators all seemed stuck in limbo, and then she’d run down the hall to get to the lounge. 

Peter was in there playing on his cell, feet kicked over one of the chairs, humming some off the wall thing.    


“Karen, what’s your favorite fruit?”

“I never really thought about it.”

Chase looks around for someone else to see who the kid is conversing with. There’s no one else in there. The voice sounds strangely like Friday….

Tony gave the kid his own AI. Jesus jumped up Christ.

“Peter,” she says coming around the chair. He jumps up and grins merrily.

“Hi! Chase?”

“Yup. You bring your stuff?”

“I did! Thanks so much for helping me!”   


“Thank me after we see if I can help you,” she laughs. Peter grins and grabs his backpack and starts pulling books out. He’s got an iPad Pro stashed in there, as well. 

“We have this paper we have to write about something.”

“Can you be a little more specific?” she asks taking a seat on the couch and rearranging the decorative pillows till she’s comfortable.

“It’s a discussion paper. We have to pick a topic we’re passionate about and do a thing where we try and make people see our side.”

“Gotcha. Have you picked a topic?” 

Peter shakes his head no.

“Aside from wall crawling and swinging through New York, what is it that you like?” 

Peter goes pale and his jaw hits the floor.’   


“How…”

“Where are we?”

“Stark Tower.”

“Who hired me to help you?”

“Mr. Stark….oooohhhhh,” he says when he catches on. The big, goofy grin returns. Chase smiles and shakes her head.

“So, what else interests you?”

“Stuff. Friends, girls, tech.”

“You’re not going to make this easy.”

“Sorry.”

“Anything else? Got a passion for something specific in tech that may be controversial or really new?”

“Eh...I mean, Mr. Stark gave me a new suit, but I don’t think that would go over well in an English paper,” he says with a shrug.

“Probably not. Write about Tony.”

“What? Seriously?”

“He’s a well known figure, some people love him, some people hate him. You have first hand experience with him - though, I’d keep that out. Put out a paper on why you admire the asshat.”

“A-asshat?”

“You heard me,” Chase laughs. “Make sure you get some sources for your paper, because if your teachers were anything like mine they’ll want it all laid out.”

Peter is beaming.

“I can do that. He’s been on the cover of a few tech-head magazines recently. I can pull those up.”   


“There you go. What else you got for me?”

“Well, the paper is the main thing for right now. I mean, thank you for the idea, that’s great, but…”   


“You write it, I’ll proofread it and make sure it sounds coherent, Peter. I’m not writing it for you. Pepper has banned Tony and I from doing your homework.”

“Well that kind of sucks.”


	57. We're Running Out Of People

Bucky is punching the living hell out of one of the heavy weight bags in the gym. His body is begging him for mercy, muscles screaming for rest, but he can’t. He needs to stay preoccupied to keep his mind off of the girl and his heart. 

So he continues to hit the bag, occasionally sending it swinging to where he has to catch it. It finally gets to be too much and he’s so sore and tired he’s not sure he’ll be able to move in an hour. He heads to the locker room, grabs his stuff and heads back to his place. 

As soon as he hits the elevator he can hear his cell going off in the gym bag. For one fleeting moment he dared hope it was Chase. When he pulls the phone out he sees it’s Nat.

“Where are you?”

“On the elevator.”

“I know you’re hurt, but Sam is out, Clint’s on another thing somewhere and Tony has some public event he has to go to in the next couple of days that he cannot miss. That leaves you, me and Steve.”

“Still no Wanda or Vision?” he asks tiredly.

“They got wrapped up in something near Slokovia.”

“I need a shower.”

“Hurry up. We’ll meet you in fifteen,” she says and then hangs up. Bucky sighs and drops the phone back in the bag. 

He gets into his apartment, strips, showers, changes, grabs his bag and heads out in under ten minutes. He can already feel his muscles tensing at the overusage. He’s going to pay for this in spades. 

He gets to the Ops Room where Nat and Steve are waiting to leave. 

“This shouldn’t take long,” Nat promises when she sees Bucky.  He shrugs. She leads the boys to the garage where they climb into one of SHIELD’s many remaining vehicles. Nat insists on driving, because the other two have road rage and they’ll never get to the destination. 

Once aboard the jet, Bucky does everything he can to keep his mind occupied. He goes over the briefing repeatedly, he toys with the few combat knives he carries, he cleans his weapons and makes sure they’re properly loaded. 

He hears Nat and Steve talking, but doesn’t acknowledge them.

“Is he okay?”

“I don’t know. He’s put up that barrier like he does when he’s trying to deal with something on his own.”

“Have you asked him?”

“Have I had the chance, Red?”

“Don’t get flippant, Rogers.”

“What do you want me to do while we’re out, Nat? Wind him up till he can’t think straight and have him get hurt or one of us?”

“No.”

“I’ll talk to him when we get back. I’d planned on it anyway. I haven’t heard from Chase since I took him over to talk to her.”

“Do you trust her?”

“Can we not start this shit again? Please?”

“It’s a legitimate question. You brought him over there because he doesn’t trust her, either.”

“Maybe initially he didn’t trust her.”   


“What changed?”

Bucky tunes them out, focusing instead on the whir of the engines and computers around him on the jet.  Natasha doesn’t trust anyone but Steve and Fury. This boggles Bucky’s mind considering what Natasha knows about SHIELD and its inner workings. HYDRA is bad, SHIELD often times isn’t much better. Steve she should trust. 

“Buck, you good? We’re about to land,” Steve calls to him. 

“Yup.”

“Short and sweet, Barnes. We should be out of here in a few hours,” Natasha promises. Bucky nods his head, slaps the magazine into the last of the guns he was cleaning and holsters it. Time to go.


	58. Let's Not Imagine What Steve Does In His Free Time, Please

Chase meanders back to her apartment, not really wanting to be cooped up, but not having any other options. Tony and Pepper are doing their thing, Rhodey is in D.C. where he’s apparently been since before Tony went to California, and she hasn’t seen or heard from Steve. She hasn’t seen or heard from Bucky, either, but given the way he just bailed on her, Chase doesn’t expect to hear from him again. The idea of that puts a damper on her spirits. 

She goes inside and heads to the kitchen. She’s hungry and she’s got to use that sauce or it will go bad. She gets to work putting the lasagna together. She’ll text Steve when it’s done and see if he wants any for he and Nat - who probably will have it drug tested - and she’ll ask him if he’ll take some to Bucky. What harm could it do?  If Bucky refuses it, it’ll be Steve he has to explain it to, she won’t have to witness it first hand. If he accepts it…

“What?” she asks herself as she layers the ingredients into the baking dish. “He’ll eat it and tell Steve to bring the fucking plate back.”

She shakes her head and finishes the layering process. She wonders where Steve and Bucky are and why Steve has made no effort to call back since the first time. Then again, maybe he can’t because he’s indisposed with Natasha. 

“There’s a funky thought,” she shudders. “Bleh.”

It’s like getting the visual of your brother porking his girlfriend. Chase feels like she should go scrub her brain with Borax and bleach now. 


	59. Everything Hurts

Natasha had kept her word. The mission was only a few hours long. It took almost half the time just to fly there. That didn’t stop the fact that there had been an explosive device that Bucky happened to be closest to. Once again, the goddamn shield came in handy. Steve’s so good at throwing and bouncing the damn thing around it looks like a circus show. Bucky has gotten good at catching it, not so much throwing it. The shield only defies the laws of physics for Steve it seems. 

Natasha had stayed in the Ops Room to debrief with Maria and Bucky and Steve were on the elevator together. 

“What’s wrong?”

“With who?” Bucky asks tiredly.

“You.”

“I’m tired and I’m sore and I have a huge goddamn bruise forming on my chest from jumping on the bomb with your shield.”

“You were like this before the mission, smartass.”

Bucky looks at Steve, his eyes giving no signs of emotion.

“It’s nothing,” he says when Steve refuses to break eye contact. 

“Did you call her, Buck?”

“Who?” he asks, already knowing damn well who Steve was referring to.

“Chase.”

“Why would I call her, Steve? What am I going to say?”

“How about you’re sorry for just running out the fucking door without saying anything?” Steve snaps. Bucky cringes a bit and Steve sighs. 

“I’ll text her.”

“That’s it? You busted my balls about what she looked like and then about talking to her and that’s it? A text?”

“What would you prefer I do?” Bucky asks, getting testy with Steve’s pushing of the situation. 

Steve looks at him completely dumbstruck.

“I guess I thought you had some vague interest in her-”

“What the fuck good would that do me since she’s interested in you?” Bucky barks. “Shit, Steve, I’m sorry,” he recants immediately. 

“What makes you think she’s got a thing for me? I wasn’t the one who made her blush.”

Bucky shakes his head and doesn’t answer. The elevator doors open and he steps off without another word. 

“Buck,” Steve calls after him.

“I’ll call you later. I need to get some sleep,” Bucky says just loud enough Steve can hear him.  He gets to his apartment, goes inside, drops his gear, heads to the bedroom and flops down on the bed. He’s out in a matter of moments. 

His rest is short lived, as always. He snaps awake, the nightmare still on the edge of his mind. He tries to move and his body tells him to fuck off. Every square inch is screaming in pain. 

“Jesus Christ,” he groans forcing himself to get up. He wobbles a bit and has to put his arms out to steady himself. Oh, he’s definitely paying for the last two days in spades. 

He limps to the bathroom and slowly, painfully strips out of his gear and gets in the shower. He makes the water as hot as he can stand it hoping to release some of the tension in his muscles. 

He finds himself wishing she was here, just to hear her voice, just to not be alone...

Bucky plants his hands against the tile wall of the shower and shuts his eyes tightly. Is he wrong? Is she really not attracted to Steve? Steve seems to think that’s the case, but Steve wasn’t always good with the subtle hints the dames threw out there. Also, Steve is nuts for Nat, so he probably wouldn’t notice a pretty girl like Chase going gaga over him. 

He wishes she was here….


	60. Now That Someone Pointed Out The Obvious

Chase pulls the lasagna from the oven and puts it on the stove. The whole apartment smells like an old world Italian home. She grabs her phone and for a split second debates on calling Steve. She decides against it, seeing as texting him may set the Russian Hellcat after her anyway. 

She shoots Steve a text telling him she made the lasagna, he can have some, please bring some to Bucky. That’s it. She figured if she put anything else in the text she was just asking for trouble. She’s surprised when she gets an immediate response and then a call.

“Hey,” Steve’s voice comes through the line. He sounds tired and exasperated.

“You okay there, Chief?”

“I’m going to kick Buck’s ass, but yes, I’m good.”

“What did he do now?”

“He’s a fucking idiot for starters.”

Chase cant’ hold back the laugh, but she tried. 

“Sorry,” she says trying to keep any more giggles from escaping.

“Glad you’re amused, dollface. He’s upset over you.”

Chase freezes and the laughing stops immediately.

“What did I do? Is it because of...he wanted to know, Steve!” she protests thinking this is the issue.

“I don’t know if that’s part of the reason or not.”

“Can you stop being cryptic? Come get the fucking lasagna and tell me. I made enough for the four of us and then some.”

“Four?”

“I didn’t know if Natasha would be interested in having some, too.”

“You’re a good girl, Chase. Be over in a few.”

Chase looks at the phone completely perplexed as to what the hell Steve is talking about and what’s going on with Bucky. She runs through her recent call list. Bucky’s number is still there, it’s the only one that doesn’t have a name attached to it right now. She wants to call him and check on him, just to make sure he’s okay. He doesn’t have to answer, probably won’t answer, which would be alright. If he did answer would he talk to her? 

“Fucking A,” she grumbles putting the phone down. She decides not to call him. It would be better not knowing then having him answer and not say a goddamn thing. 

It’s only a matter of minutes before Steve is at her door pounding on it.

“Goddamn savages,” she yells at the door. She opens it up and Steve is standing there smirking at her. 

“Savages?”   


“Who beats on a door like that?” she says letting him in.

“It’s called knocking, smartass.”

“Not if the fucking door is shaking in its frame, assmunch.”

Steve eyes her casually then shakes his head. 

“Care to elaborate on what’s going on with Sergeant Barnes?” she asks, sitting down on the sectional.

“I thought the pasta sauce smelled good. Damn,” Steve mutters looking towards the breakfast nook.  “Sergeant Barnes thinks that you’re infatuated with me. That you’re hot to trot for me. Not him.”

“Is this like a really bad joke you two are running?”

“I wish it were,” Steve sighs. “But, no. He started out thinking you were upset because he ran out of here without saying anything the other day-”

“I was, if we’re being honest.”

“I told him to call you or text you and apologize. Somewhere along the line it turned into you being pissed off at him potentially to you having zero interest in him and being completely smitten with me.”

“First of all, ew. No offense. You and I aren’t even on the same fucking page as far as compatibility. I’m not remotely attracted to you, again no offense. I see you the same way I see Tony, overbearing, pain in the ass big brother type.”

“Pain in the ass big brother,” Steve repeats slowly. “I can see that with Tony. I’m the cool older brother.”

“Did you hit your head on the last mission?”

“No. Stop it, smartass,” Steve laughs. 

“Why does Bucky think I’m infatuated with you?” Chase asks getting the conversation back on track.

“I don’t know, Chase. Have you seen him since we left the other day? Or talked to him?”

“No to both. I figured he wasn’t interested in me...you know...with him getting impatient with me going over the details of what I know and then just running out the door like Hell was hot on his heels.”

“He’s more soldier than anything still, Chase. That’s what they turned him into. He’s the socially awkward kid I was back in Brooklyn before the war. He’s not the same guy, but the old Bucky is still in there. You catch little flashes of him now and again. Smartass remarks, that goofy goddamn grin...he likes you, Chase.”

“From my perspective it seems the opposite is true, Steve.”

“He took my head off in the elevator when I made mention of his infatuation with you. He point blank told me it wouldn’t do him any good because you only had eyes for me. He thinks he doesn’t have a chance.”

Chase bites at her lip. This was the Bucky she’d built up in her mind, only more so. Beaten, broken and alone. No one but Steve to rely on. Out of of his time and alienated by just about everyone around him. Chase has been pitying herself for not being able to go home and Bucky is home but feels like he doesn’t belong. 

“Will he talk to me if I bring him food?”


	61. Who The Hell is Knocking

Bucky can barely walk he’s so sore and tired. The bruising on his chest is massive. Super soldier serum or no, this isn’t going to go away overnight. He limps down the hall, keeping one hand on the wall for support. It’s times like this when the loneliness hits hardest. When he wishes more than anything for someone to be here with him. He can’t lean on Steve like that. Steve has always been his responsibility to take care of, although the tables have turned since the war, and now Bucky has feels like he’s a burden to Steve. 

He’s barely to half way down the hall when someone starts knocking on his door. It’s not coming off the hinges, so he knows it isn’t Steve, and since he can’t think of anyone else who’d be knocking he lets it go. 

He leans against the wall to take a break from the seemingly endless hike to the living room. The knocking starts again. Bucky growls and pushes himself to start moving again. 

Just as he gets to the edge of the living room his phone starts going off. It’s Steve.

“Where are you, man?” Steve demands before Bucky can even say hello.

“Hurting. I can barely move. Please tell me there isn’t some other fucked up thing no one else is available for.”

“No, Buck, no, there isn’t. Answer your door.”

“Give me a few to get there,” he says through clenched teeth.

“Alright.”

Bucky lets the call disconnect and staggers to the couch then makes his way to the door. He knows Steve is there and based on the softer knock he’s brought Nat along for the ride. 

He opens the door and is beyond shocked to see Chase with Steve. And she’s holding a foil covered dish. 

“Jesus Christ!” she gasps shoving the plate at Steve and rushing to his side. Bucky is speechless as she maneuvers herself under his right arm and then gently drapes it across her shoulders and leads him to the couch. He hears the door close, Steve is inside with them now. Great. Maybe they came to announce their undying love for each other and brought him something to drown his sorrows in. 

His heart breaks with this line of thinking. She’s so close to him, the soft smell of her skin, the warmth of her touch….he’s going to fall apart.

He drops onto the couch, but refuses to look at her. He can’t.

“What do you need, Chase?” he asks softly. He sees her drop to a squat in front of him. She’s trying to get him to look at her, but he refuses. He can see her glance at Steve quickly.

“Bucky,” she says softly, “look at me.” 

It takes every ounce of willpower he has to fight back the tears in his eyes. He’s exhausted, hurting and now she and Steve are here to add insult to injury….

“Buck.” Steve’s voice, firm and demanding of his attention. 

He feels her fingers under his chin as she forces him to look at her.

“You’re wrong about Steve, handsome.”

Bucky blinks a few times trying to figure out what the hell she means.

“What?” he says finally. 

“She’s not interested in me, you shit. She came here to see you and bring you dinner,” Steve answers. Bucky looks at Steve, the confusion evident on his face.

“What?” he says again because he can’t think of anything else to say.

“Steve, he’s hurt. Badly. I can see the bruises on his arm and coming up his neck,” Chase says looking over at Steve. She stands up and puts her hand on Bucky’s cheek and his head starts to spin. 

“Let me see,” Steve says. 

“Bucky,” Chase says softly, “baby, you need to go to medical.” She’s caressing his cheek, running her fingers under his chin. He can’t think, can’t talk, everything is swimming in shades of gray.

“Buck?” Steve’s voice. He sounds worried.

“ _ Bucky _ !” Chase, her voice, she sounds scared but she also sounds a million miles away. 


	62. This Is What Happens When You Don't Take Care Of Yourself

Chase is sitting with Steve in the horrifically colored pastel yellow waiting room in the medical unit of the tower. Natasha joined them about five minutes ago and had called Bruce as soon as Steve told her what happened. This is the first time Chase has seen Nat and she’s too worried about Bucky to even care. 

Her heart is still thundering in her chest and her head is pounding. Bucky had  blacked out in his apartment while she and Steve were talking to him. If Steve hadn’t caught him, Bucky would have ended up on the floor. The bruising on his arms and neck were only the tip of the iceberg, apparently. Bucky had been in some shit the past several days and it caught up to him all at once. 

“He’s going to be alright, Chase,” Steve promises her again. She’s pacing the floor, looking at the staff bustle about just beyond the waiting room and waiting for someone to come tell her Bucky is  _ actually _ alright and then she can go see for herself. 

“He must have been hurt way more than he let on to,” Natasha says remorsefully. “He doesn’t know when to stop. They didn’t instill that notion in him. He only knew to keep going till the mission was done. Even now that discipline is there.”

Bruce finally comes into the waiting room and Steve has to grab Chase by the arm to keep her from tackling him to get information.

“He’s dehydrated, severely. Massive contusions, possible bruised lung and he may have a mild concussion - which he’s lucky this is all he’s got based on what you told me, Nat.”

“Is he alright?” Chase demands.

“He’s awake and we’ve got him on a fast drip of fluids to get him hydrated. He’s fussing he wants out.”

“He’s fine,” Natasha laughs. 

“Can we go see him?” Steve asks. Bruce shrugs.

“Sure. He’s his usual charming non-talkative self. I offered to give him something to help him sleep and he said no. Try talking to him about it,” Bruce says to Steve. “He needs sleep.”

“Can’t promise anything, but I’ll try,” Steve tells him. Bruce nods his head.

“Check on him and then come home,” Natasha purrs into Steve’s ear. Chase feels ill at this uncanny display between those two. It’s like watching a horrible porn that tried to have a plot.

“He’s this way,” Bruce says when he sees Chase roll her eyes in disgust. She and Steve follow him to the outside of one of the private rooms. 

“Let me go in first,” Steve offers. “See how he’s doing. Alright?”

“Yeah,” she says, feeling slightly off put by Steve’s attempt to shield Bucky from her. He gives her a tired smile and dips into the room. Bruce has walked off, leaving Chase to stand in the hall alone. 

He really thought she was hot and bothered for Steve. This blows her mind. If he only knew about the shower fantasies, and the longing to have him hold her, the desire to find out how soft his lips are, and to hear the sound of his laughter and the way his eyes light up. But Steve? Really? Bleh.


	63. What Happened?

Steve steps into the hospital room to see Bucky sitting up on the hospital bed, an IV running from his wrist and the blood pressure cuff attached to his upper arm. The black circles under his eyes only confirm what Bruce said about him needing sleep. Bucky looks tired and thoroughly pissed off. 

“You want to tell me what happened because I keep getting some shit about I fainted,” Bucky grumbles.

“I wouldn’t say fainted. Blacked out is a better term. How are you feeling?” Steve asks.

“Hellish.”

“You look it, man,” Steve says being completely honest. “You look like you’ve been through the wringer more than a few times.”

“Bruce says I’ve got contusions, possible bruised lung, blah, blah. Get me out of here, Steve.”

“Buck, this isn’t a joke. You need to rest. You can’t heal right if you don’t. Bruce can give you something -”

“Forget it, Steve,” Bucky interjects. “I don’t want it.”

“If you won’t do it for me, will you do it for Chase?”

Bucky’s eyes light up when Steve says her name. 

“Chase? I thought...she’s mad at me? She’s...what the fuck happened upstairs?”

“She came over to tell your dumbass that she’s not interested in me and bring you fucking dinner, you shithead. She made lasagna.”

“She made the lasagna?” Bucky asks. Steve can see he’s confused, the exhaustion and dehydration taking their toll on his ability to think clearly.

“Yeah.”

“She came to see me?” Bucky is still trying to piece what Steve just told him together. 

“She’s outside the door waiting to see you now, Buck. She’s worried about you.”

Steve sees Bucky’s pulse rise on the monitor and his heart rate pick up. The look of consternation on his friend’s face is sad.

“Why? I don’t….what does she want from me? I can’t...Steve, I’m not you,” Bucky says finally.

“She doesn’t want me. She finds the whole idea of that revolting.”

This last statement makes Bucky grin finally. 

“Can’t say I blame her there,” he says jokingly. Steve nods his head

“Alright, asshole,” Steve says smiling at his friend, “you want to see her or not? Because I’m sending her in here, regardless.”

“She really came to see me?” Bucky asks nervously. 

“Yeah. I told you, she’s got a thing for shaggy looking assholes named Bucky.”

“I am so going to beat your ass when I get out of here.”

“Doubt it. I sleep. You’ll never keep up.”

“Was that a challenge?” Bucky asks, wide eyed. 

“Nope. Not till you actually recuperate,” he answers going to the door. 

“Chicken shit,” Bucky grumbles. 

“Shut the hell up,” Steve laughs as he leaves the room. 

Chase is waiting none to patiently outside by the door for him.

“How is he? Can I go see him? Is he mad still? How bad is he hurt? Is he awake?”

“Okay, slow down,” Steve laughs. “Go see for yourself,” he finishes as he opens the door and pushes her gently towards it. 


	64. Making It Perfectly Clear

Chase steps inside the room. Bucky is sitting up on the bed, an IV drip running from a bag down to where they stuck him just above his wrist. He’s got a BP cuff on and a pulse/o2 monitor on that arm, as well.

“Hey, handsome,” she says taking a tentative step forward. She’s not sure how he’s going to react to seeing her again. If he’s still upset. If he’s still on this fucking trip that she’s in love with Steve.

Bucky smiles warily. He looks nervous and scared. This breaks her heart.

“Hi, doll,” he says finally.

“How are you feeling?” She’s wringing her hands because she doesn’t know how to interpret him yet. If she thought he would let her, she’d throw her arms around him and hold him as tightly as she could and kiss him till he begged for mercy.

Bucky looks away from her and down at his arm with the IV protruding from it. He looks at his other arm and Chase sees his shoulders sag.

“I’ve been better,” he says softly. “Probably look as bad as I feel.”

Chase takes another step closer. He still doesn’t look up. She’s dying inside right now.

“Bucky…” she trails off, not knowing what else to say. Throwing out there that she’s got a mad schoolgirl crush on him seems a little out of context right now.

“I heard you made dinner,” he says looking up. There’s a hint of a smile on his lips.

“I did. I made the lasagna. I brought you some. It’s in your apartment...sitting out...festering...goddammit,” she groans planting the palms of her hands against her eyes angrily.

“Aww, don’t do that. Pretty girls like you shouldn’t beat themselves up like that.”

“I find this girl you keep talking about and I swear to god I’m going to beat her ass,” Chase says. “I don’t like competition.”

She gets what she’s after with him. He gives her that gorgeous grin that makes his eyes shine and he laughs.

“Only person you’re competing with is you, baby. No other pretty girls around that I’ve seen. At least none that bring me lasagna and then leave it out on the counter to marinate,” he says teasing her a bit.

“I have plenty more stored properly at my place. I’ll bring you more when you’re up to it,” she promises. His smile broadens, then instantly fades.

“I’m sorry about running out on you like I did the other day, Chase. I should have said something or called you or sent you a message...I just…”

She can see he’s fighting with himself over what to say. Chase bites her lip and closes the distance between them in a few strides. She sits on the edge of the bed, moves his right arm gently till it’s resting on her hip, then wraps her arms around him and hugs him tightly. Bucky responds immediately, wrapping his arms around her midsection and practically bear hugging her. He buries his face in the soft flesh between her neck and shoulder. She can feel his breath, ragged and uneven, against her skin.

“It’s okay, honey,” she whispered, running her hands up and down his back. The muscles are almost like stone they are so tight.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles into her neck.

“Stop, Bucky. You’re alright. Well….not really, you silly shit.”

He lifts his head and looks at her, his blue eyes full of fear. She gives him a playful smile and runs her fingertips across his jaw and under his chin. The scruff is soft to the touch, not coarse and wiry.

“You’re hurt, honey. You need to rest and that means getting some sleep-”

She’s cut off by a low growl of disapproval coming from him. She tilts her head and tries to look at him sternly. He grins, she breaks and he pulls her back into the bear hug.

“Bucky.”

Heavy sigh.

“Bucky.”

Low growl.

“James.”

“Oh god,” he groans. He still won’t let go, his face buried in her neck where he seems content to stay. Chase bites her lip to keep from laughing at him. Much like Steve, Bucky is a big kid, just moodier.

“James Barnes.”

The low growl again.  She runs her fingers up and down his back slowly and there’s a contented sigh that tickles her skin. She shifts a little and his embrace tightens for a moment before going back to the standard bear hug. He doesn’t want to let her go it seems.

“Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes.”

This time she’s awarded with not only the growl, but a small chuckle and then the stubble on his chin grazing her neck. She squeaks and tries to get away. He laughs and finally lets her out of the bearhug.

“I like ‘honey’ better,” he says sitting back a little. He hasn’t let her go entirely, both hands clutching her sides.

“We can go buy some.”

“Alright, smartass.”

“I’m not the one who started this,” she laughs. He cocks an eyebrow at her.

“No?”

“Will you listen to me now? Please?”

“I don’t want anything to help me sleep. I’m afraid…” he stops and looks at her pleadingly, “I’m afraid when I wake up this will have just been a dream or hallucination.”

“Blacking out is a dream you’ve had?”

“I meant you, Chase,” he says, no longer amused by her antics. She runs her fingers through his hair, pushing it away from his face.

“What will it take to convince you that you’re not dreaming, hallucinating, having delusions of grandeur or whatever?” she asks as she toys with his hair more. It’s not as soft as the semi-beard he’s got going. He’s in need of a hot oil treatment and a better shampoo and/or conditioner.

“I don’t know, baby,” he admits looking down.

She lifts his chin and studies him for a bit.

“You can stay with me at my place. You crash out and when you wake up that’s where you’ll be. No dreams, hallucinations, nightmares - unless waking up next to strange women from other planes of existence scares you,” she says giving him her sweetest smile.

“Really?” He sounds completely taken aback by this offer.

“Yeah. There’s other reasons for having you stay with me as opposed to the other way around.”

“My place is a fucking disaster anyway. I like yours. It feels more like a  home, not just a place to crash.”

Her lips twitch at the mention of home. He picks up on it instantly.

“Baby, I didn’t say that to upset you,” he says, clearly afraid he’s done something wrong.

“You didn’t. Home is...home is both, I guess, Bucky. Tony keeps telling me to stop feeling sorry for myself and part of that is going to be to try and make your world my home,” she explains, the notion being new to her. “Besides,” she continues, “that’s where the lasagna is.”

He pulls her back into the bearhug.

“Is that a yes?” she whispers to him. He leans back again, letting her out of the bearhug but keeping his hands on her.

“Are you sure?”

“You have to let Bruce give you something to help you get some rest. Even if you just sit half asleep watching TV, you need to rest.”

“I have shit I have to do, though,” he objects. She eyes him suspiciously.

“Who?”

“Not who,” he laughs. “What. I promise you there’s no one else.”

“Alright then. What?”

“Laundry. I have to get my weapons cleaned, guns need oiled.”

“You can do the weapons shit at my place and you can do your laundry there, too. It’s the same goddamn set up, so you know I have the same washer and dryer stashed in the hall as you. After you get some rest. Don’t give me that look, James.”

“Ugh,” he groans when she says his proper name. He says nothing else.

“Bucky,” Chase says softly, “I’m not going to keep pushing the issue with you. I want you to get some rest. You know you need to. I’m offering you a solution to keep you from thinking this is a dream. I can’t force you to accept the offer, though.”

She keeps her tone gentle, but she’s very firm and direct with him when she says this. He’s giving her pushback, maybe unintentionally because he’s nervous, maybe intentionally because who knows why. She’s not going to keep pushing him and she’s done asking now.

 


	65. Someone To Take Care Of Him

Bucky can see that Chase is serious now. He wants so badly to take her up on this offer, but something is holding him back. Fear? Low self imagery? What? 

Whatever the reason, he’s fairly certain he’s not going to get another offer like this from her if he doesn’t accept this one. 

“Alright, baby,” he says finally. “If you’re sure I’m not imposing on you and this is what you want.”

“You’re not imposing and it has to be what you want. Don’t come over if you feel like I forced you to,” she says as she toys with a lock of his hair. He loves the feeling of her hands in his hair. 

“Fair enough. I can bring my gear over? You’re okay with the guns and knives being there? I’m not giving you pushback, baby, I just don’t want to make you uncomfortable with that shit.” He’s sincerely worried that she’s never been exposed to those things in her world and he doesn’t want to scare her or freak her out.

“Yes, honey. Bring your gear and your laundry. Get Steve to help you carry it. Based on your lack of mobility earlier...maybe just ask Steve to bring it over and you come home with me?”

He can’t help but light up at her  _ come home with me _ statement. It sets his heart beating faster in his chest, which gets picked up on the monitor, which she looks over and sees…

“Is that a yes?” she asks with a playful smile. If he wasn’t smitten with this girl before he damn sure is now.

“Yes,” he agrees. “Can we get the hell out of here now?”

“Sure. Let me see if El Capitano is still hanging around.”

He takes her hand and shakes his head no. He puts one finger to his lips to keep her quiet and grins devilishly.

“Cover your ears, baby,” he says. He sees the wicked smile cross those pretty pink lips. She knows he’s about to start shit with Steve and she clearly approves.

“STEVE!” he bellows at the door. “STEVE!”

Steve comes barrelling through the door.

“WHAT?!”

“Where’s Bruce?” Chase asks, barely keeping from laughing.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You yelled like that just to have her ask me where the hell Bruce is?”

“Got your attention, didn’t it?” Bucky asks.

“Just wait, asshole,” Steve threatens heading back out the door.  “Just you wait.”

“Go get Banner! I want to get out of here!” Bucky yells as Steve leaves the room. Chase finally breaks and starts laughing. Bucky can’t help but smile, he loves the sound of her laugh. 

“He’s going to hurt you,” she laughs. Bucky shrugs.

“Eh...he can try. I can outrun him. Even on a bad day.”

“I’d play nice with him if you want him to grab your shit and bring it over.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Bucky grumbles. He tilts his head and brushes his hand over her cheek. She closes her eyes as he does, a soft sigh coming from her lips. Those lips. He’s dying to kiss her. 

“You okay?” she asks him, pulling him from his little daydream about her lips.

“No,” he says honestly. “I hurt like hell, baby.”

“I can’t even imagine, honey. I can see the bruising on your arm and your neck. Bruce says you’re pretty fucking lucky considering what you’ve been up to the last week or so.”

“Hazards of the job,” he says nonchalantly. “I’ll heal.”

She nods her head, but he can tell by the look in her eyes she’s worried about him, and he’s touched by this. She cares about him. She’s still studying him, those dark brown eyes hint at something, but he can’t tell what it is. She tilts her head to the side. He’s about to ask her what she’s thinking when she leans in and presses her lips to his. His mind is reeling from this, but his body knows just what to do. He puts his left hand on the small of her back to push her in a little closer. His right hand he brings to her face to keep her steady. He parts her lips with his tongue and is greeted by her tongue chasing his back into his mouth. He hears what he could only describe as a purr come from Chase as she sinks deeper into the kiss with him. 

“A-hem!” Bruce grunts. Chase breaks their kiss and leans back away from Bucky and he’s not at all pleased by the interruption. He looks over Chase’s shoulder at Bruce.

“Stop,” she whispers to Bucky. She must have known he was about to say something callous to Bruce. He looks at her and smiles.

“I take it you’re ready to go?” Bruce asks.

“I was told you could give me something to help me sleep.”

“I can. It’s nothing heavy, but it is designed to make you sleep, Buck. Which is what the hell you need to do. That and eat and drink because I don’t think you’ve done that, either, recently.”

Bruce is getting smart with him and Chase is smirking about it. He looks at Chase  and purses his lips. 

“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters. “How soon can I go and where the hell is Steve?”

“Right here, Buck,” Steve says stepping into view from the doorway. “Glad to see you two got your shit straight.”

“You could have just told me he was interested before all this. You know that, right?” Chase remarks. She slides off the bed, much to Bucky’s displeasure, and steps out of the way so Bruce can pull the IV from his hand. 

“She’s right,” Bucky adds.

“How is this my fault that the two of you are completely oblivious to the goddamn obvious?” Steve demands.

“You could have told us,” Chase repeats and then laughs when Steve gives her a shitty look. 

“Great. You two get together and I get ganged up on. Alright, assholes,” Steve says trying to sound pissed off and failing. Bucky can see Steve is trying not to laugh and smile at their antics. 

“I’ll be back with the sleep meds,” Bruce says, shaking his head at them as he leaves.

“What the hell do you want?” Steve asks, still feigning indignity.

“He’s staying with me, but he needs stuff from his place. I can help you grab it once I get him situated,” Chase says before Bucky can speak. He’s beyond thrilled that she’s sticking to him staying with her. 

“He is, is he?” Steve asks looking to Bucky for confirmation.

“Yes, he is,” Bucky replies. “At her behest.”

“I see,” Steve says, looking thoughtful.

“Whatever you’re thinking, punk, don’t,” Bucky warns. Steve laughs at the idle threat. 

“I’m not doing anything. And yes, I’ll grab his shit. What do you need, ya jerk?”

“Piss off. I need the guns and knives still in the holsters on the couch and coffee table.”

“And his laundry,” Chase adds. Steve looks really surprised now.

“Laundry,” Steve repeats. “Anything else?”

“I can come help you grab the stuff, Steve. I want to get rid of that lasagna that’s been sitting out all day.”

“I can get it, dollface. Just take care of grump-ass here, will you?” Steve teases. Bucky flips him off and then gives Steve a pleasant smile. 

“Still know the code to get in?” he asks Steve.

“Yeah. I’ll go gather up your goddamn shit now,” Steve says and then leaves the room. 

Chase is running her fingers through his hair again and Bucky is still impressed at how good this feels. 

“You’re so tired, honey,” Chase muses, running her fingers along his jaw. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving, baby. I can’t thank you enough for doing this for me.”

“It’s alright, honey,” she says giving him a smile. 

Bruce comes back in the door with a bottle of pills for Bucky. 

“Take it with food. Don’t do anything stupid. No missions till I clear you for that concussion,” he orders. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea for someone to stay with you, either.”

“He’s staying with me, Bruce,” Chase states. “That’s taken care of. How many does he take? And are there any side effects I need to know about or things to keep an eye out for?”

“Just one pill with food a day. Take it with milk before he goes to bed. The pills might give him an upset stomach, but that’s about it,” Bruce explains. 

“What about the concussion?” Chase continues. Bucky is so moved by her concern and initiative with his care he can’t speak. She’s taken full control of his well being and this blows his mind.

“It’s a mild one. If he starts complaining of a severe headache or he starts vomiting, get him down her ASAP. Mostly he’s dehydrated. He needs fluids. You need to drink something other than beer,” Bruce says, joking with Bucky. 

“Yeah, yeah. I don’t even drink beer.”

“I’ll make sure he stays hydrated. Water or can we do Gatorade if he’s good with that?” she asks as she continues her quest to take care of him. She looks over at Bucky and he smiles. 

“Any clear liquids. Don’t let him bully you. Make sure he drinks and eats,” Bruce instructs. 

“You hear that? Don’t give me any of your shit, Barnes,” she teases. He sticks his tongue out at her and laughs a little.

“You’re free to go, Buck,” Bruce says. “Good Luck,” he says to Chase before leaving the room.

“Ass,” Bucky grumbles. He looks at Chase who is looking over the pill bottle Bruce handed her. 

“You really are concerned, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” she replies sounding a little miffed by his question.

“Trying to wrap my head around why you are, baby, that’s all.”

“There’s a few reasons. But that’s for another time. Let’s get you home and fed, handsome.”

Bucky moves slowly, his body still crying out in agony. He slides his legs over the side of the bed and winces when he stands up. Chase is at his side in a heartbeat, her arm around his waist, draping his left arm over her shoulders and helping him maneuver. He’s not sure what he’s done to deserve her being here, but he’s hoping and praying he doesn’t do anything to fuck it up. 


	66. Food Then Sleep, Maybe A Massage In Between

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is another long chapter, guys. Just a heads up.

Chase walks slowly with Bucky, one arm around his waist the other holding the hand that’s draped over her shoulder. He’s so stiff and sore that he’s barely able to walk and he’s desperately trying to keep the majority of his weight off of her and carry it himself.

“Bucky, lean on me. Stop trying to carry your full weight,” she says as they head down the hall.

“I’m heavy, Chase. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I can manage, Buck. You’re going to hurt yourself more if you don’t let me help.”

He’s silent for a moment and then sighs. She feels the extra weight of him slowly increase over her shoulders, The vibranium is cold against her neck and the weight of it and Bucky is something to marvel at.

With him leaning more on her for support the two of them are able to move a little easier.

They get to her apartment at the very end of the hall and see Steve waiting for them with an overflowing laundry basket in front of him. Draped over his arms are various holsters concealing Bucky’s weapons.

“Jesus, Buck,” Steve says coming to help Chase. He takes Buck’s weight onto himself allowing Chase to let him go and open the door. Bucky was reluctant to let her go, keeping his hand in hers for as long as possible.

“It’s alright, honey,” she promises. He lets her go finally and Chase is able to open the door. She grabs the laundry basket and carries it inside followed by Steve and Bucky. Steve gets Bucky to the sectional and lets him drop down. Bucky groans in pain.

“Easy, easy,” Chase says coming over and pushing his hair from his brow. He looks up at her, the pain evident on his face. He puts his head on her stomach and sighs. Chase looks at Steve who looks just as worried as she feels. Steve puts the holsters on the coffee table and sits down gently next to Bucky. Chase is rubbing his right shoulder softly waiting for Bucky to lift his head. She doesn’t want to move until he does to try and keep him from hurting himself.

“Let her take care of you, Buck,” Steve states. He’s got the big brother tone going. “Don’t fight with her, just let her do what she needs to. And for god’s sake, get some fucking sleep, man.”

Bucky lifts his head and nods, acknowledging what Steve just said. Steve gets up and Chase walks him to the door.

“Listen to me. If you need anything you call me. I don’t give a shit what time it is. He means the world to me, but he’s a stubborn jackass,” Steve says quietly.

“I’ll be fine,” Chase promises. “He’s too goddamn tired and sore to do much of anything but whine.”

Chase looks over at Bucky who’s clearly not amused that she’s speaking in hushed tones with Steve.

“Go on, before he really gets mad,” she says shooing Steve out the door.

“Don’t like him, huh?” He’s vocalizing his insecurities. Chase comes back over to to him and stands in front of him like she was before. She puts her hand on the back of his neck feeling the heat radiate from under his thick hair. Bucky rests his head on her stomach again and brings his hands up to latch onto her hips.

“I’m sorry, baby.”

“I told you, he’s not my type. I have a strong attraction to dark haired guys with majestic blue eyes, wayward smiles and scruff on their chins,” she says stroking his hair. He nestles into her a little more and sighs.

“I see this asshole I’m going to beat him to a goddamn pulp.”

“Please don’t break my mirrors,” she laughs. He looks up at her and smiles.

“Me?”

“You what?”

“I’m the one with the majestic blue eyes?”

“Yes, honey,” she reassures him. He smiles and puts his head back where it was. “Bucky, you have to eat something.”

“I know,” he mumbles from her shirt.

“Do you want the lasagna now or do you want something a little lighter?”

She watches him lift his head as he considers this.

“Can I have it both times?” he asks after a moment.

“If you want, sure. I made plenty.”

He nods his head and sits back, letting go of her hips.

“Let me go warm it up for you. I’ve got some Gatorade here already. I’ll bring you some in a minute, okay?” she asks as she runs her fingers through a lock of his hair.

“That’s fine, baby. Thank you,” he says softly. Chase strokes his chin then heads to the kitchen.

She’s watching the timer on the microwave countdown when she hears one of the stools at the island move. Bucky is gingerly sitting down at the island.

“I was going to bring it to you, honey,” she says softly.

“I didn’t want to be out there alone,” he admits. “I keep thinking I’m dreaming and I’m scared I’m going to wake up.”

“Not a dream, sweetheart. You are busted the hell up and stuck with me in my apartment,” she jokes. He gives her a tired smile.

“Are you this nice to all the guys you come across?”

“I hate everyone, Buck,” she says as she puts some ice in a glass and then pours the light blue Gatorade on top. “I very rarely come into contact with people I will talk to, much less socialize with. At least at home. Here you fuckers seem to bring the social butterfly out.”

“Us fuckers.”

Chase laughs when she hears him repeat her phrasing.

“Drink a little, please,” she says putting the glass down in front of him. Bucky does as she asks and downs half the glass. She refills it and he downs the whole glass this time. She fills it again, emptying the bottle and puts a new bottle next to him. The timer on the microwave goes off and she grabs the plate with the steaming hot chunk of lasagna on it. She puts it down for him and hands him a fork. She can see he’s practically drooling as he digs in, not waiting for it to cool off. The first bite burns his mouth and he makes the patented _O_ face trying to cool off his mouth.

“Try blowing on it,” she teases. He sticks his tongue out, drinks more Gatorade and then dives back in. He’s finished in only a few moments.

“It’s fucking delicious, baby,” he marvels as he scrapes the remnants of the cheese and sauce from the plate with his fork.

“Do you want more?”

He thinks about this for a moment.

“Maybe a small piece?” he asks timidly. Chase smiles warmly at him.

“A small piece it is,” she says getting the pan back out.

“You’re a good cook.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she says with a laugh as she pops a smaller piece in the microwave.

“Oh? You’re drop dead gorgeous. Nice curves, pretty lips, beautiful brown eyes…”

“Is that why you’re staring at my ass?” she asks looking over her shoulder at him. Bucky licks his teeth and looks down, but he’s got that bashful grin going.

“You’re facing the wrong way for me to stare at your face?” he asks after a brief moment.

“I see. So, if I turn around like so,” she says spinning around to face him, “you’re going to look at my face and not my tits?”

She watches Bucky’s jaw come unhinged and then watches him try to come up with something witty in retaliation.

“You got me, baby. I got nothing. It’s a nice display you have, though. The whole way around.”

Chase can’t help but laugh at him. Steve was right, every now and then pieces of the old Bucky come through and she’s pretty sure she’s seeing him now. He’s grinning more now and she loves it. His smile is the stuff of Hollywood romances. The only thing those idiotic chick flicks got right.

The microwave goes off and she gets the plate and hands it to him. He starts devouring it immediately.

“I’ll be right back,” she says heading towards the living room.

“Chase?” Immediate panic in his voice.

“Easy, honey,” she calls back, “I’m grabbing your pills, that’s all.”

Chase grabs the pill bottle off of the coffee table and heads back to the kitchen area. Bucky’s finished off the lasagna and is sitting quietly at the island playing with the Gatorade bottle when she walks in.

“Here, sweetheart,” she says popping the lid off of the pills and handing him one.

“I know I promised I’d get some sleep, Chase, but...please, let me just spend time with you.”

His request pulls at her heart strings. Those blue eyes pleading for her to give in.

“I’m not going anywhere, honey. I’m going to be right here. But, I’ll come lay down with you for a while. Just till you fall asleep. I’ll still be within shouting distance if you wake up disoriented, okay? I promise, I will still be here with you,” she vows caressing his face. He closes his eyes and presses her hand to his cheek. She knows he’s afraid of being abandoned and that he’s trying hard to hide that fear.

“Alright,” he agrees with a great deal of reluctance. He takes the pill and downs it with the rest of the Gatorade in the glass.

“Come on, handsome,” Chase says putting herself under his right arm and helping him slide off the bar stool. He loses his balance for a moment and Chase quickly compensates by pulling his weight onto herself to keep him from tumbling over.

“Shit. Chase, I’m sorry,” he says as he gets his bearings again.

“You’re alright. Come on. I’ve got something that may help those sore muscles of yours in the bathroom.”

“The garden tub?”

“No, smartass,” she says with a laugh as she helps him down the hall. “It’s this funky shit called tiger balm. Tony got it for me when I was all busted up from the crash.”

“What are you going to tell Tony about me, baby?”

“Nothing until I absolutely have to, Buck,” she says quietly. “I’m not trying to fight with either of you. I love Tony like a brother. He saved me, gave me a place to live and has basically taken me in as a member of his family.”

“You run the risk of losing him by being with me, Chase. He hates me. Understandably so.”

“Stop. What happened was beyond your control, Bucky. He’s got to come to terms with it at some point,” she says with a little more fierceness then she’d intended. She feels him cringe against her as they make their way into the bedroom. She helps him to the bed and he sits down heavily and winces in pain.

“Bucky,” she says lifting his chin, “I know what you did. I know you were still a pawn. I know you regret it all. You can’t change your past, honey. You have to come to terms with it as much as Tony does. Does that make sense?”

He nods his head, but he won’t look directly at her. She can see tears in his eyes. She puts her arms around him and pulls him against her, keeping him balanced on the bed while leaning into her midsection. He grabs onto her hips again, his fingers kneading into her flesh.

“Can we agree for right now we won’t say anything to Tony?” she asks as she plays with his hair.

“Yes,” he answers, finally looking up at her. She gives him a sweet smile and kisses the top of his head.

“You missed,” he says, the grin slowly coming across his lips.

“You’re a shit,” she laughs. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

He nods his head and Chase heads to the bathroom to grab the tiger balm. She comes back to the bedroom and stops in the doorway. Bucky is looking at his arms, turning them this way and that, flexing his fingers on both hands. His brow furrows and she can see the remorse and pain on his face.

“Bucky.”

He looks up, letting his hands fall into his lap.

“Baby.”

She steps into the room and uncovers the balm.

“What do you think? Want to try it?” she asks as he takes a sniff. He scrunches his face a little.

“Does it work?”

“Seemed to,” she answers sitting down next to him.

“How much do I use?”

“Let me ask you this first - how are you planning on rubbing it into your legs and arms when you can barely move?”

He gives her a curious look.

“I don’t know?” he asks.

“I can rub you down with this stuff. Back, legs, arms, chest…”

“Still going to stay in here with me after that?” he asks quickly.

“I will, honey,” she promises him. “I will.”

She sees he’s still hesitant about this and she isn’t entirely sure why.

“I haven’t been in anything less than a tank top and pants in front of a dame in I don’t know how long,” he says quietly. “The arm is one thing. The shoulder piece...it’s not pretty, Chase. It wasn’t designed to be anything but functional,” he finishes sounding overly apologetic about it. Chase nods her head. She reminds herself that he doesn’t realize how much she knows about him. And while the shoulder piece may not look like the Hollywood effects they used on the actor portraying Bucky, it will be a least moderately similar, she’s sure of this.

“I’m okay with it if you are, honey,” she tells him. He studies her for a moment, trying to gauge if she’s being sincere or just telling him what he wants to hear. He works his shirt off slowly, and Chase steps in to help him pull it over his arms then his head. She sees the shoulder piece finally. It’s a bright silver compared to the dark gray of the vibranium. The piece covers his entire shoulder area and part of his upper arm. She can see the scar tissue from where it was attached to his chest and what look like….scratches from where someone was trying to get it off.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she whispers as she runs her fingers lightly over where the flesh and metal meet. Seeing it for real took this to a new level. They weren’t gentle with him at all. Ever. This is the most physically evident piece of Hydra’s abuse of him and their lack of humanity. She purses her lips as she runs her fingers over the scar tissue, tears welling in her eyes. He went to war to serve his country, with every intention of doing the right thing. They took him and broke him and hurt him and she’s both raging and breaking inside right now for him.

He takes her hand from his arm and kisses her wrist. She can’t keep the tears from falling and wipes them away quickly with her free hand.

“Don’t cry, baby,” he pleads. “Why are you crying?”

She shakes her head and wipes at her eyes again, willing herself to get it together.

“It’s alright, Bucky. It’s just...I thought I was prepared to see this, but, reality is always much harsher than anticipated,” she explains. She gives him a smile and runs her fingers along his jaw.

“I didn’t want to upset you by showing-”

“You didn’t. Bucky, I knew about your arm and the shoulder piece. It’s just...seeing it here, now...it screams pain, Bucky. It screams it and I wasn’t as prepared to see this as I thought I was,” she says touching the metal shoulder again.

“You are the only person who has looked at this and felt anything other than abject horror. I see the pain in your eyes, doll. Don’t let this upset you. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“No, but the bruising on your chest looks like it does,” she says refocusing their attentions to something other than his shoulder and her overactive empathy response.

Bucky looks down at his chest and runs his fingers over the outline of the bruising.

“Looks like hell. Doesn’t feel much better, either,” he says.

“Do you want me to try and rub some of this in? I don’t want to hurt you, honey,” she says fearing that any attempt to apply even the slightest amount of pressure to his bruising may hurt him.

“I’ll be alright,” he says with a gentle smile. “I’m not going to pass up a massage from a beautiful dame at any rate.”

“You’re an asshole,” she says with a laugh. He shrugs and gives her that playful grin she adores so much.

By the time she’s finished rubbing him down, Bucky is on his stomach in nothing but his boxer briefs sound asleep, his face nestled into her pillows. She grabs a blanket from the closet and covers him up. She slinks from the room as quietly as possible so she doesn’t wake him.


	67. Bucky Gets Some Sleep

Chase sits down on the couch and starts sorting through the laundry in Bucky’s laundry basket so she can get his laundry started. From the looks of things and how tightly he’s got the laundry packed in the basket he hasn’t washed clothes in weeks. 

She’s coming across shirts with what appear to be blood stains on them, ragged looking pants with rips and….Jesus Christ are these bullet holes??

Chase shudders at the thought. Bucky’s been beaten, shot at, and from his latest adventures, blown the fuck up. The fact he’s still alive is nothing short of a miracle. 

She finishes sorting the clothes and gets them started in the washer. As soon as the washer is going she goes to check on Bucky. She opens the door slowly and peers inside. He’s kicked the blanket off and is now on his side, clutching one of her pillows to his chest. She can see by the slow, steady rise and fall of his side he’s still sound asleep. She pulls the door shut and goes back to the living room. 

She sits on the couch and looks at the holsters. The hard leather is cracked in places, stained in others. She shakes her head. Steve’s got that goddamn shield, Bucky has his knives and guns. She flips on the TV, lowers the volume till it’s just barely audible and zones out till the washer stops.

It’s several hours later and Bucky is still sleeping. She’s checked on him a few times and the only change has been the position he’s sleeping in. She debates on waking him up to get him to drink something and maybe eat a little more, but decides against it. Based on what she’s heard from Steve, Bruce and Bucky himself, the guy doesn’t sleep. 

She hears her phone go off. It’s a text from Steve asking how Bucky is. She calls him back.

“Hey! You okay? How’s he doing?” Steve asks.

“He’s still asleep. I don’t know if I should wake him to get him to drink more or just let him go,” 

“How long’s he been out?”

“Like five hours, Steve.”

There’s no answer for a moment.

“Let him go, Chase. Did you give him the pill?”

“I did.”

“That’s probably why he’s still out. Just let him sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow. If you need anything you call me, okay? I mean it. If something happens -”

“Like what, Steve?”

“He has nightmares, Chase. If he wakes up from one and you can’t handle him…”

“I will, Steve,” she promises. “Hopefully, things will be fine.”

“I’m sure they will be, dollface. Call you tomorrow.”

“Please don’t get me killed by your Russian Hellcat,” she teases.

“Knock it off, smartass,” he laughs and then disconnects the call. 

A few hours later she gets cleaned up and carefully, quietly slinks into the room. Bucky is still sound asleep, the blanket halfway to the floor now. He’s back to laying on his stomach, face buried in one of the pillows. She climbs into the bed and as soon as she does he shifts quickly, rolling over onto his side. He sighs deeply, but then there’s no other movement. Chase pulls the blanket back up over him then curls up behind him, draping her arm over his side slowly and then rests her head against his back, hoping she doesn’t wake him up. She falls asleep to his deep, rhythmic breathing.


	68. It Wasn't A Dream, You Poor Fool

Bucky snaps awake clutching the pillow and covering his face to try and prevent the scream that threatened to erupt from him. It’s dark, but he can see the outline of his furniture and his heart breaks. It had all been a dream. Just a dream. He wasn’t with her. He was alone in his own apartment. He doesn’t fight the tears this time. He hurts all over, his head is throbbing and now his heart feels like it’s been shredded to a million pieces. He feels sick and broken. He slowly, painfully sits up. It’s too much. The idea that he’d dreamt up this whole scenario that she had wanted to take care of him, that she’d kissed him, taken him into her apartment...who was he trying to kid? He’s a goddamn monster. No one would ever love him. 

This last thought breaks him entirely. He covers his face with his hands and cries. 


	69. You're Here And You're Safe

Chase wakes up to the soft sound of crying. She knows it’s Bucky and she snaps to full attention.

“Bucky? Baby, what’s wrong?” she asks sitting up and wrapping her arms around him. He jumps at her touch.

“Ch-Chase?” he stammers. She can feel his heart pounding in his chest. 

“It’s me, honey. It’s me. You’re okay, sweetheart,” she whispers as she tries her best to cradle him. “Friday, turn on the hall light,” she orders the AI. The hall light comes on partially illuminating the bedroom. She sees Bucky looking around, trying to get his bearings.

“It wasn’t a dream?” he asks. He puts his hands over hers. Chase can feel him shaking, he had worked himself up so much.

“No, honey. You’re here with me. Remember? We came back here, you ate the lasagna, I gave you that stupid sleeping pill and you came back here, I rubbed you down with that stuff?”

He’s slow to respond, his fingers entwined with hers now. 

“I remember. I thought it was a dream,” he says softly. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Chase bites her lip. He’s only concerned about waking her up. 

“It’s okay, honey, it’s alright. You got scared. You woke up after sleeping for like,” she looks at the clock, “ten hours and you were disoriented. Alright? Look around, honey. You’re with me, in my room. You kicked the covers off of us both,” she says pointing to the pile of covers on the floor. He chokes out a laugh.

“Sorry, baby,” he says leaning back against her. She kisses his cheek and then his jaw.

“It’s alright. You’re a furnace. I was plenty warm enough curled up against you.”

“I didn’t even know you were there, baby. Jesus Christ, I must have been dead out.”

“You’re tired, Bucky. Beyond tired. And I did everything I could to keep from waking you up when I came to bed,” she explains as she puts her face on his shoulder. 

Bucky lets go of one of her hands to wipe his eyes. Chase takes the opportunity to tuck his hair behind his ear and then kiss the spot where his jaw is hinged. She feels the goosebumps rise on his skin in response and she can’t help but smile. She’s found a sweet spot on him. She’ll hold onto that information for a later time. 

“I’m sorry I woke you up, baby.” He’s apologizing again. He’s breaking her heart, he’s so concerned about upsetting her that he’s neglecting his own need for sleep and comfort. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” she whispers and then kisses his cheek. “Are you alright now?”

“Yeah. Just...sore, my head hurts a little. I need to take a piss.”

Chase laughs. 

“You okay to walk on your own or do you want me to come with you?” 

“Tempting, but I’m pretty sure I can take a leak on my own,” he says with a small laugh. 

“I’ll go get you something to drink. There’s Tylenol under the sink in the bathroom. If you start feeling woozy -”

“I’ll yell, baby,” he promises. She kisses his cheek again and slides out from behind him and off the bed. She extends her hand to him to help him up. He takes it, but doesn’t use her help. He pushes himself up off the bed and groans in pain.

“Easy, handsome, easy,” she says softly as she pulls him gently into her arms. He wraps his arms around her and rests his head on her shoulder. She rubs his back slowly and gently, listening to his contented sighs as she does. 

“Go take your leak,” she says playfully. “I’ll go get you something to drink.”

He lifts his head and smiles. She can still see the dark circles under his eyes, even in the low light coming from the hall. She runs her hand over his cheek, the scruff thicker now, but still soft to the touch. He leans into her touch then takes her hand and kisses her wrist before stepping away from her and limping towards the bathroom. She watches him go, marveling at how much of his mobility he’s gotten back already. She wonders how much of that is the serum and how much of that is just his body’s chance to get some much needed rest. 

She heads to the kitchen and grabs a bottle of Gatorade she’d stashed in the fridge for him. When she comes back into the bedroom, he’s sitting on the bed waiting for her. 

“Better?” she asks handing him the bottle. He takes it and pops the pills he had in hidden in his hand in his mouth. He nods his head as he chugs half the bottle down. She gathers up the covers off the floor and drops them next to him on the bed. 

“I’m still wiped, doll,” he admits as he puts the cap back on the bottle. “I’m so fucking tired.”

“I know, honey. I know. Come on, let’s go back to bed,” she says crawling onto the bed next to him. He nods his head and puts the bottle on the bedside table. He stretches and then cries out when the muscles in his back catch.

“Easy, baby, easy,” she whispers putting her hand on his shoulder. “Come on, come here. Lie down.”

He does as she instructs and lays down on his side facing her. 

“Friday, hall light off,” Chase orders. The hall light goes out leaving the two of them in the dark. She reaches over to him and caresses his face. 

“Thank you,” he says taking her hand and kissing her wrist, then her palm.

“For what, handsome?”

“Taking care of me, staying with me.”

Chase runs her fingers along his jaw again then presses her lips to his. She feels him place his hand at the base of her skull, pulling her closer, his tongue snaking its way into her mouth vying for dominance with her own tongue. He lets her go and rests his head against hers, his hand caressing her face gently. His touch is soft and gentle, more so than she could have imagined. She closes her eyes as he runs his fingers through her hair. 

“You’re beautiful,” he whispers as he runs his fingers through her hair once more. She opens her eyes and smiles, she can’t help herself. 

“I’m not the one with the majestic blue eyes,” she says running her fingers along his jaw and under his chin. He smiles, but it’s clear he’s still very tired. 

“Which spoon do you want to be?” she asks. He looks confused by this question.

“Spoon?”

“Do you want to be the big spoon or the little spoon?”

“Cuddling?” he asks still sounding confused.

“Yes, honey. Do you want me to hold you or vice versa?”

“Can we stay like this, just curled up together?” he asks as he runs his fingers across her cheek then over her lips. She kisses his fingertips making him smile.

“We can, honey. We definitely can.”


	70. Tony Calls

Bucky wakes up to the sound of incessant ringing. It’s not his phone going off. He opens his eyes slowly and sees Chase still sound asleep on her belly, face nestled between the pillows. It’s her phone going off. He reaches across her, being careful to not wake her and grabs her phone off the nightstand on her side. It’s Tony.

“Shit,” he growls. “Baby, wake up,” he whispers in her ear as he brushes her hair from her face. She growls defiantly, but doesn’t open her eyes. He grins, even in her sleep she’s stubborn.

“Chase,” he says a little louder. Tony is calling her again. “Baby, Tony’s calling.”

This time her eyes snap open. 

“Fuck,” she mutters. He hands her the phone and leans back on the pillows next to her.

“Yes?” She doesn’t hide her aggravation at being woke. Bucky can hear Tony coming through the phone crystal clear.

“What are you doing? Are you still asleep? It’s after ten,” Tony prattles.

“I had a late night.”

“Do tell.”

“Late night movie binge,” she lies. Bucky knows she’s not going to tell Tony about him. Not just yet, at least.

“You up to having lunch later?”

“Can I take a raincheck? Maybe tomorrow? I’m beat, Starky. I just want to veg today.”

Bucky knows there’s some truth to her statement. He woke her up in the middle of the night and kept her up for another two hours while he played with her hair until she fell asleep again. He vaguely remembers closing his eyes and then waking up to the sound of her phone going off. 

“Yeah. We’ll do lunch tomorrow. Have you heard from the kid?”

“Negative. He’ll call when he gets the paper done,” she says through a yawn. 

“Go back to sleep, kiddo. Jesus Christ, that must have been some movie marathon.”

“It was, Starky,” she laughs. “Call you later,” she says disconnecting the call. 

“Starky?” Bucky asks unable to hide his grin.

“Meh,” she mutters as she rolls over to drop the phone on the nightstand. 

He wraps his arm around her and pulls her back against his body. She’s so soft. He runs his fingers over her skin she has exposed. She’s in nothing but a tanktop and a pair of...what the hell are these things? Girl boxers? She’s drifting to sleep again as he caresses her skin, an occasional purr coming from her. He sees she has tattoos, now exposed where they were once hidden. On her left shoulder is the outline of a wolf’s head. Her skin is so fair the wolf is white, except for the denim blue eyes. He traces the outline with his finger and she shifts a little, pulling away from him a bit. He pulls her back to him gently, and sees she’s asleep again. He watches the rise and fall of her breast, straining the fabric of the tank top. He kisses her shoulder and nestles his face against her neck. He closes his eyes and lets her hypnotic breathing lull him back to sleep. 


	71. Time To Get Up

Bucky wakes up to the the feeling of fingertips running lightly up and down on his chest. He slowly opens his eyes, The room is better lit than last night, but the furniture is the same, the black and chrome dresser and chest of drawers, but instead of having ammo and knives scattered all over the tops of them there’s what looks like an oil painting of pink and white flowers. He feels Chase move closer to him, feels her rest her head where the metal and flesh meet on his arm, feels her breath on his skin. He’s with her. He wasn’t dreaming. He pushes her hair back from her brow with his left hand, and she sighs contentedly. She doesn’t seem at all bothered by his metal arm. The shoulder piece upset her last night, which was not his intention to have happen when he took his shirt off. She’s seems alright now, head resting on him, her fingers running lazy figure eights on his chest. Based on her slow breathing and lack of movement she’s just barely awake and she wants to cuddle with him. He’s all to willing to oblige her, continuing to toy with her hair with his left hand. He rubs her arm with his right hand and she nestles in closer to him. He hears that sound almost like a purr as she does so. He loves it. Loves all of this right now. 

He goes to move his legs so they’re bent at the knees and is surprised at how much more movement he has today compared to yesterday. His legs are stiff, but nowhere near like they were. His arms aren’t aching, either. Between getting sleep and her full body rub down he’s on the fast track to healing. He’s pretty sure just being here with her has helped a great deal, too. He looks over at her and smiles. Her eyes are closed, a sleepy smile on her lips. He caresses her cheek softly with his right hand, and she smiles more. 

“How do you feel?” she asks, her voice still sounding groggy. 

“Better. Thanks you you, baby,” he says pulling her a little closer. 

“I didn’t do much but feed you, rub you down and let you sleep, handsome,” she says softly, draping her arm across his abs. 

“You don’t give yourself enough credit, beautiful. You did a lot more than just that.”

She looks up at him with those sleepy brown eyes and a warm smile. 

“You hungry?” she asks, stretching out next to him. He feels her body go rigid as she stretches out her whole body. He feels an all too familiar aching desire settling in his balls and cock. 

“Bucky?” she questions, looking up at him. She smiles, seemingly knowing he’s distracted by her body.

“Yeah. We can go out for breakfast. My treat, baby. It’s the least I can do.”

“I have eggs here, sweetheart. I don’t mind making them for us. I’m banned from leaving the tower without Tony’s permission and an entourage. I don’t want to open that can of worms just yet,” she says as she runs circles over his pecs with her fingertips. 

“You sure, baby?” He doesn’t want her to feel like she’s expected to do these things, like she has to wait on him hand and foot. 

“Yeah,” she says slinking away from him to the edge of the bed. She sits up and stretches, the wolf much more visible now on her shoulder. He can see yet another tattoo on her lower back where the tanktop has ridden up, but he can’t make out what it is. He leans over to lift her shirt and she jumps.

“Easy, beautiful. I just wanted to see the other tattoo,” he says quickly. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry.”

She looks over her shoulder and gives him sweet smile. 

“Here,” she says lifting her shirt up more so he can see the back tattoo. It’s an all black snake eating its tail. He brushes his fingers over the tattoo and she shivers. 

“Cold?” he aks.

“No,” she says after a few moments. “It’s just been a long time since someone’s touched something other than my arms,” she admits as she pulls the tank top back down. 

“I find that hard to believe. Beautiful dame like you should be fighting the guys off,” he says gingerly sliding closer to her. Still tender and stiff but so much better than he was yesterday. 

She huffs a laugh at his statement.

“I seem to only be attracted to assholes and douchebags. Guys with singular purposes. I stopped dating after the last guy turned into a fucking stalker. I just figured I was one of those lucky people who got to be alone.”

“Why would you think that?”

“I need to go take a shower,” she says changing the subject. “I’ll make the eggs when I’m done, alright?” She looks over her shoulder for his approval. He’s upset she won’t go into anymore detail, but he’ll let her go take her shower and maybe try again later. 

“Alright, baby. Maybe by tomorrow I’ll be limber enough to join you.”

She laughs which is just the reaction he wanted. 

“We’ll see, handsome. I don’t think Dr. Banner wants you doing anything strenuous till he clears you for it.”

“Yeah, about that…”

She smiles and gets off the bed. She opens the dresser and he watches her pull clothes out, keeping a keen eye out for what kind of panties she’ll be wearing today. He can only make out they’re a dark blue. 

“Stay out of my drawers,” she warns playfully. 

“Dresser or…”

“Down boy,” she laughs. 

“Speaking of drawers,” he begins, “I’m going to have to go to my place to get cleaned up. I don’t have anything clean here. I slept all day and didn’t get around to washing that basket full of clothes.”

“They’re done, sweetheart. Mostly. The last load is in the dryer, they just need to be re-run and then folded. Everything else is folded and either in the basket or on the sectional.”

“Oh, Chase, baby...you shouldn’t have done that. You didn’t have to…” he doesn’t know what else to say. She did his laundry. On top of everything else this sweet dame has done for him she’s done his laundry, too. 

“You were sleeping, Bucky. You needed to sleep. I was here and it needed done, so I did it. It’s alright. I don’t mind,” she says casually. “I’ll be done in a few and then I can help you out to the living room. Promise me you won’t run off till I’m done?”

“I promise,” he says softly. She smiles and then disappears from the room. He hears the bathroom door close and the exhaust fan go on. He kicks the blanket off of himself and sits cross-legged on the bed. She’s got a heart of gold, this dame. He can’t help but think about what she said, that she’s one of those people that ends up alone. He can’t believe that. He realizes he doesn’t know as much about her as she does him, but he’s determined to try and change that...and hopefully show her she doesn’t need to be alone anymore. And neither does he.


	72. In Heat

Chase stands in the shower, her teeth chattering. She has it as cold as she can stand it because being that close to Bucky has her hot and bothered to an entirely new level. His touch on her skin sent her into a near tizzy and it took all she had not to pin him to the bed, straddle him and ride him till she couldn’t feel the lower half of her body anymore. She wanted to run her hands all over his body, down his abs, over that thick bulge in his boxers…

“Oh, god,” she moans, turning the shower completely over to cold now. She keeps telling herself he’s hurt. He’s severely hurt, dehydrated, exhausted and she isn’t entirely sure he’s attracted to her to the same degree she is to him. Her body is shivering uncontrollably now. 

She finishes up and steps out of the shower, grabs a towel and hurriedly dries off. She towel dries her hair, foregoing the usual straightening again so she can get Bucky situated and get him breakfast. 

She gets dressed, quickly and heads back to the bedroom.

Bucky is sitting Indian style on the bed. She’s impressed by this because yesterday she’s fairly certain this would have been damn near impossible for him. He’s healing - rapidly. It has to be the serum. She can even see the bruise on his chest has started to change colors already. 

“See something you like, doll?” He’s got a playful tone to his voice when he asks her this, as he gives her that side grin.

“I’d be lying if I said no,” she replies honestly. “I was admiring how much more limber you are today, handsome. I don’t think you’d have been able to pull off sitting like this yesterday.”

“Definitely not, baby. But this is all because of you.”

She shakes her head no. “It’s mostly because you got sleep and because of the serum, Bucky.”

“Don’t short change yourself, baby,” he says sliding towards the edge of the bed and standing up carefully.  The boxer briefs leave very little to the imagination on him. He’s all muscle and sinew. His chest and abs are smooth to just below his navel, then there’s a dark, thin line of hair that dives down below the waistband of his boxers. She feels that heat building in her belly again, that feeling of needing to be filled. 

These thoughts and feelings take less than a moment to run through her. But it’s that moment he catches on to, the smile on his face growing, his blue eyes sparkling. She steps towards him and he reaches for her, pulling her into his arms. He wraps his arms around her tightly, burying his face in her neck. The scruff on his chin rubbing against her skin making her squirm in his arms. She puts her arms around him, marveling at the feel of the muscles in his back. He pulls her closer and she can feel all of him against her fully clothed body. At this point she’s sure she’s going to lose her goddamn mind. He lifts his head and cups her face in his hands.

“You know how beautiful you are, baby?” he asks running his thumb over her lips. He’s staring at her lips when he asks this. She goes to answer, but he’s got her lip locked before she can say anything. He lets her go, caresses her face and smiles. 

“Do you want to take a shower?” she asks because she doesn’t know what else to say and if she does what she wants to do, one or both of them may end up sore and unable to walk.

“Think I should. I’m starting to get a little ripe,” he jokes. She looks him over and he smiles grandly. 

“Want to come grab something to wear from the living room?”

He nods his head, but he hasn’t let her go yet. He pulls her back into the bearhug and kisses her neck. 

“Sure, doll,” he murmurs from her neckline. He lets her go and stretches. He flinches a bit, but that’s it. He smiles when he sees her admiring him again. 

“Come on,  handsome,” she says trying to keep her composure. He reaches for her hand and then lets her lead him to the living room. 

Even though she told him she’d done his laundry he still seems surprised to see his laundry clean and folded on the sectional and in his laundry basket. 

“Jesus Christ, baby. You really didn’t have to do this,” he says looking over his clothes. Chase shrugs. 

“It needed done, honey. I wasn’t able to get the stains out of some of them, I’m sorry,” she apologizes. He gives her this pained look and she starts to backpedal.

“I didn’t do it just to...I wanted to try and help you out a little and I just ended up doing it all,” she says still feeling like she needs to apologize. 

“Baby, stop. I’m not upset. I’m just...pleasantly surprised. You gotta understand, doll, nobody’s done anything like this for me. Ever,” he says taking her into his arms again. “I don’t know how to thank you, baby.”

She wants to tell him she’s got a few ideas, but keeps that to herself. 

“It’s alright. It’s worth it. Look how much easier you’re moving. You’ve got a few less things to worry about now,” she says with a smile. He kisses her cheek and grabs jeans, boxers and a t-shirt from the pile of clothes on the sectional. 

“I’m going to find a way to make this up to you, baby.”

“That sounds like a threat,” she says with a laugh. He gives her that gorgeous smile.

“Nah, baby. It is a promise, though. I’m not going to let you get away with spoiling me without returning the favor.”

“Still sounds like a threat.”

“Alright, smartass,” he says trying not to laugh at her. 

“Go get showered, honey. When you’re done I’ll make us eggs, okay?”

He kisses her lips again, smiles then heads back to the bathroom. She tilts her head to watch him go. Even from the back he’s something to admire. 

“Oh god,” she mutters to herself. Heaven help them both if he’s as horny as she is. 


	73. Shower Time, Take 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mild smut warning.

Bucky steps into the bathroom and strips out of his boxers. He turns the shower on and lets the water warm up before stepping in. The hot water feels amazing. He looks at the shampoo she has. He pops the top and sniffs. It smells like mint and apples. He smiles and drops a glob into his hand and works it into his hair. He rinses it out and looks for her soap. It’s a body wash. He opens the bottle and sniffs. This is the same soft scent that emanates from her skin. It says it’s milk and honey. He lathers up and the bathroom immediately takes on the aroma of the body wash. It smells like her, like his girl. His beautiful girl with the plump breasts, luscious curves, full hips, soft skin. He wonders what it would be like to hold those breasts, kiss them, run his tongue over her nipples, work his way down over her belly kissing her skin as he goes till he gets to the V between her legs. He wants to know how wet he can get her by doing this, how she’d feel if he slipped his fingers inside her. He wants to know if she’ll cry out for him when he sinks his cock inside her. 

He’s hard and his balls are throbbing from this line of thinking. She told him she’d consider letting him shower with her tomorrow, he hopes to god she does. He wants to slide between her legs, rub himself against her till she begs for him to thrust into her. He wants to know what those lips would be like on his cock, those soft, pink lips. 

His hand is wrapped around his cock, slowly stroking as he keeps thinking about Chase. 

He groans loudly as he climaxes, his muscles sending warning shots that they aren’t ready for this kind of activity just yet. 

“Fuck,” he mumbles trying to catch his breath.

He finishes up in the shower, steps out and dries off. He finds her brush and pulls it through his hair. He looks at himself in the mirror. It’s been a long time since he’s been this close to a dame. It’s been even longer since he’s felt as strongly about a dame as he does Chase.

He gets dressed and goes back to the living room to look for her. 


	74. Looking Back, Is This Real?

Chase is sitting on the sectional playing on the cell from her own world, scrolling through the songs she’d downloaded, occasionally playing one through tinny sounding speakers. She’s downloaded the songs on her devices here, but there’s just something almost nostalgic, something that makes her cell phone make those songs better, despite the shitty speakers. 

She looks over at Bucky’s piles of clothes. She’s fallen for him. Hard. It’s not just a physical attraction. She wouldn’t do some random guy’s laundry, wouldn’t have let him crash at her place and damn sure wouldn’t have slept in the same bed next to him, regardless of whether or not he was knocked the fuck out. This isn’t like her. 

But here she sits, waiting for him to come out of the bathroom so she can make him breakfast. She wants to take care of him, fawn over him, hold him, love him. And that means that if the chance for her to go home arises, she’ll have to make a very difficult decision. 

She wonders how strong his feelings are for her. Is this just a passing fancy because she’s been nice to him? The physical attraction she knows is there, just based on the way he looks at her, but is that all there is? He hasn’t been around a woman in a long time, he admitted that much to her. What if she’s made another mistake, like the last one? 

The guy that had stalked her had been her ex-boyfriend. He was in jail for violating the restraining order and then trying to beat the shit out of the arresting officer. She’d thought he loved her, thought she’d found her prince charming with him. Right up until she found him fucking her then best friend in their bedroom. She’d dumped him and moved out in less than 24 hours and that’s when he went nuts. Calling her all hours of the day and night, following her around, mailing her threatening letters about what he was going to do to her and then mailing her dead animals, calling her job demanding to speak to her, showing up at her new place and beating on the door and then rage screaming at her while she called the cops.

What if...what if she’s wrong about Bucky and she’s just falling into that trap again? 

She looks down at her phone and bites her lip. She can’t deny the feelings she has for Bucky, both physical and emotional. She can only hope this isn’t going to end in a flaming disaster. Or with her ending up in another fucking parallel universe.


	75. Baby, You Have To Talk To Me

Bucky walks into the living room and sees Chase sitting on the sectional staring at a different phone. He can’t see her face but he can see there’s something going on. Her body is rigid, she’s breathing fast. He hears her sigh deeply, the sound full of sadness. His heart aches. 

“Baby,” he says stepping into her view, “what’s wrong?”

She jumps when she sees him.

“Hey! I didn’t hear you come down the hall,” she says getting up. Whatever she was doing, whatever she was thinking, she’s quickly tried to bury it so he doesn’t see it. It’s a defense mechanism, something he’s all too familiar with. 

“Chase,” he says gently, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she says giving him a smile and shrugging her shoulders. She puts the other cell down on the coffee table and stands up. “How do you feel after your shower? Are you able to move a little easier?”

“I’m alright, baby,” he says reaching for her. She gives him her hand and he pulls her into her arms. He was right, she feels tense. He lifts her chin making her look into his eyes. 

“How many eggs do you want?” she asks looking away. He runs the back of his hand gently over her cheek.

“If I tell you will you talk to me? Tell me what has the most beautiful girl so tense she feels like she’s made of stone?” he asks, gently. She bites her lip.

“It’s nothing,” she says after a moment and smiles. “Just dumb shit. It’s fine.”

“Chase…”

“Really, Buck, it’s nothing. Just lost in my own thoughts, thinking about home...the other home,” she says quickly. 

“But that’s not all, is it?”

“What makes you say that?”

Bucky sighs and shakes his head. The ability to read body language, to read people, to know when they’re hiding something was part of Hydra’s programming of him. He knows she’s not telling him the truth and he’s torn between calling her out on it and trying to get to the bottom of what has her upset, or just letting it go and hoping she works it out herself. 

“I just know, baby,” he says after a moment. “I can see it in your eyes, feel it in your body. You’re good at burying it, whatever it is, I’ll give you that.”

“You’ve had a really shitty week, Buck. You’ve blacked out yesterday. You spent the rest of the day sleeping, only waking up once for whatever reason and getting disoriented. You’re on the mend. Whatever I have going on is miniscule compared to what you’re dealing with. I’m alright.”

“So, this is a one-sided relationship where I’m not supposed to give a shit about you, but you care unconditionally for me? That sounds like a shitty deal for you not to mention ridiculous as hell to expect me not to care about you.”

She looks away, he can see she’s upset, and she’s debating something internally.

“Relationship?” she asks, looking up at him. 

“It’s this thing where two people who really like each other decide to commit to one another and do disgusting couple things.”

“You’re an asshole,” she says finally laughing. He grins. He was hoping that saying something off the wall like that would at least make her smile. 

“Yeah, but I’d like to be your asshole...no, wait...let me start over…”

But it’s too late. Chase is in stitches, laughing so hard he’s got to hold her up. She’s fucking stunning when she laughs. He just nods his head, as he laughs with her. 

“I don’t need another asshole,” she says finally. “One is enough, thank you anyway.”

“I got you to laugh,” he says running his fingers through her hair. It’s full of waves and curls today, not like the other times he’s seen her when it was straight. This is new, the curls reforming each time he pulls his fingers through them. He’s fascinated with them. 

“You did, honey. You did,” she purrs, her eyes closing each time he slowly runs his hands through her hair. “Let me make you breakfast.”

“Will you talk to me after breakfast, doll?” he asks, lifting her chin. She gives him a more natural smile now.

“Bucky,” she protests.

“Want me to further elaborate how relationships work?” he teases. She tries to glare at him, he grins and she yields. 

“No, Sargeant, that won’t be necessary,” she says and then giggles. He pulls her closer and holds her tight, kissing her temple softly. If this girl knew just how smitten he was with her…

“Come on,” she says, pulling free from him. “How many eggs?”

“Start with four. Do we have toast?” he asks following her into the kitchen.

“No, but I have a toaster and the bread in which to make toast,” she replies.

“Smartass.”

“You have most of your mobility back,” she says pulling the eggs from the fridge and then getting a frying pan. “I miss my cast iron skillet.”   


“We can find you one,” he says running his hand down her back. 

“I can’t leave. Again, permission and entourage. It’s precautionary, like Tony says. I know too goddamn much about you guys,” she explains. “How do you want your eggs, honey?”

“Scrambled if you want to do it easy…” he trails off when he sees her eyeballing him. “Over easy?”

“Are you sure?” she teases. 

“Yes, baby,” he says wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck. “I’m sure.”

Any tension he felt in her earlier has since dissipated, she’s relaxed now in his arms. He pulls her hair away from her neck and kisses her gently. She leans into him, the smell of her body wash soft and sweet on her skin. 

She cracks the eggs and he watches over her shoulder, arms still around her waist, as the eggs bubble and sputter in the hot pan. 

“Grab the bread, handsome. Make yourself some toast if you want it,” she says softly. He nuzzles her ear, let’s her go and pops the bread in the toaster on the counter next to the stove. 

She finishes the eggs for them both, he butters the toast and plates it on the eggs for them and they sit down at the little island to eat. He can’t help but grin. She keeps stealing glances at him as he eats, smiling each time. 

They finish up and he feels the stiffness start to settle on him again. 

“You’re getting stiff again, aren’t you?” she asks, picking up on his discomfort. She’s good, he has to admit.

“Little bit. Still a million times better than it was yesterday.”

“I can rub you down again it it’s that bad,” she offers. 

“We’ll see, baby. You promised me you’d talk to me, remember?”

“Yeah...I guess I did.” 


	76. Confirmed Couple

Chase and Bucky head back to the living room. She moves a pile of his clothes over to the laundry basket to make room for them to sit together. She stops and thinks about what she’s doing, then looks at Bucky.

“Would you be more comfortable lounging on the bed where you can spread out more?”

He thinks this over for a moment. 

“Yeah, probably not a bad idea,” he agrees. He takes her hand and they head to the bedroom. 

Bucky stretches, grunts loudly when the muscles in his abs and back retaliate and then sits on the bed. Chase is on her side looking at her phone.

“Tony?”

“No, Peter. Hang on a second, okay?” she says as she calls the number back.

“Hi! Chase! Are you free today in like two hours?”

“I think I can manage that. Did you do your paper?” she asks as she watches Buck crawl across the bed towards her. 

“I did. I can email it to you and you can look at it before I get there? I have some other stuff, too.”

“Sure. I’ll text you my email. Two hours? So, like…”

“3:30ish?”

“Sounds good, Peter. I’ll meet you in the lounge on the 14th floor just like the last time, okay?”

“Yeah! Great! Thanks!”   


“Bye, Peter,” she says and then hangs up. The kid amuses her to no end with his politeness.

“Peter?” Bucky asks laying on his side facing her, propped up on his left arm.

“Parker. I don’t know if...I mean...goddammit,” she grumbles, unsure if she should elaborate on who Peter is on the off chance Bucky doesn’t already know.

“Kid that runs around in spiderman pajamas?”

“That would be him,” she laughs.

“I’ve met him a couple of times since the airport. He adores Steve, thinks he’s great, but that kid fucking loves Tony to pieces.”

“Tony’s like a father figure to him, Buck. The kid...he lives with his Aunt, his parents are deceased or just out of the picture. Whatever the reason, Tony stepped up and took on this paternal role with the kid.”

“Tony surprises a lot of people, even me,” Bucky admits. “He did right by you, too. I won’t be able to thank him enough for that. Or ever.”

“Bucky…”

“Nevermind that, baby. Tell me what had you upset,” he says pulling her down onto the pillows with him so he can toy with her hair. 

She opens her mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Bucky can see she’s struggling with how to tell him. He takes her hand and kisses her wrist and palm.

“It’s alright, Chase,” he promises. 

“I made...I made a huge mistake with the last guy I dated, Buck. He turned out to be a living fucking nightmare. He’s in jail, thank god. I just...I started thinking about home and then about him and that lead me to you…”   


“What about me, baby?” he encourages. 

“You told me it’s been forever since you were with a girl, Buck. What if...what if this is just a passing fancy for you? You get your rocks off a couple of times, get your self-esteem back...find a really pretty girl….leave me in the dust….” she stops and looks down at her hands, biting at her lip.

Bucky is beyond stunned by this. 

“You don’t have any idea how I feel about you. None, baby. You aren’t some passing fancy. I’m not interested in using you just to get off a few times in. You make me feel like I’m worth something, Chase. Like I mean something. I don’t think I deserve you, baby. Not after what I’ve done, but here you are. I’m not going to be fucking stupid and ruin what may very well be the best thing that’s happened to me ever. I’m not that last guy, Chase. Whatever he did, whatever those others did, that’s not me. Don’t hold me accountable for them, baby, please. Give me a chance. Let me show you I can do right by you, like you’ve shown me you care about me,” he pleads. He sees the tears in her eyes. She’s scared. He pulls her closer, wrapping his arms around her. 

“Give me a chance, beautiful,” he whispers. She curls up against him and sighs.

“You really want to throw yourself into a relationship with a hot fucking mess like me?” she asks running her fingers over his chest.

“Absolutely. You sure you want to be in a relationship with a semi-stable hundred year old man with PTSD issues, has insomnia most nights, gets shot at, blown up and has a metal arm?” he says trying to make light of what and who he is. She looks up at him and smiles. 

“Are you going to let me continue to dote on you and help take care of you?” she asks. This time he’s quiet, moved once more by her willingness to take care of him. He nods his head, not sure he can speak. 

“I can do that, baby,” he says at long last. She pulls herself closer, burying her face in his chest. He toys with a lock of hair that has a large ringlet in it.

“You like those curls, don’t you?” she asks from her nestled spot.

“Love them, baby. Don’t know why you would hide them, to be honest,” he says. Then after a few moments, “Are we doing this?”

“Doing what, handsome?”

“Coupling.”

She snorts and then cracks up laughing. He sighs and shakes his head.

“At the moment we are not. Too many pieces of clothing to make that happen.”

“That’s it,” he says going for her ribs. She shrieks and tries to squirm away from him. He pulls her closer and rubs the stubble on his chin across her neck making her fidget that much more as she laughs.    


“Give up?”

“Yes! Yes!” she cries as he runs his fingers over her ribs once more. He goes back to running his fingers through her curls. 

“I want this to be a thing with us, Chase,” he says when she’s calmed down. “Just the two of us.”

“Sure you don’t want to chase other skirts?” she asks, half joking.

“First time I’ve ever been sure about anything in about seventy years, baby.”

She reaches for his face and kisses him passionately. 

“Is that a yes?” he asks when she lets him go.

“It’s a yes, handsome,” she says tracing her fingers along his jaw and under his chin. He sighs at the softness of her touch. He’s still tired and being curled up with her like this is relaxing. She’s curled up in his arms, her body warm against his in the cool temperature of the room. He feels her fingers running through is own hair and closes his eyes. 

  
  



	77. Waking Up Alone

Bucky wakes up and rolls over looking for Chase. She isn’t there. He feels his chest start to tighten. He goes to sit up and the stiffness and soreness in his muscles is back tenfold. He clenches his teeth and forces himself to sit up and then get up off the bed. His legs feel like they’re made out of concrete. 

“Chase?” he calls, hoping she’ll answer. “Baby?”

There’s no reply. The tightening in his chest is more intense now. She wouldn’t have just left him. No. Not after everything she’s done for him. Maybe she didn’t hear him. He shuffles forward, willing the stone muscles in his legs to walk. 

“Chase? Baby, please answer me.” He can hear the fear in his voice. It’s matched only by the fear in his heart right now. What if she did leave him? What’s he offered her? She’s done so much in less than twenty-four hours and what has he done to show his thanks? What the hell is she doing with him? What could she possibly see in someone like him?

Bucky fights to push these thoughts away. He can’t think about that. He focuses on her smile and her touch and the way she looked at him. That was all real, he tells himself.

She’s not in living room, either. He feels like he can’t breathe now. He closes his eyes and focuses on his breathing - deep breath in, long exhale, repeat. 

He remembers her phone call. The kid, Peter. She was going to meet him today in the lounge on the 14th floor. Is that where she is? She said she’d meet him in two hours...but what the hell time was that? He can’t remember. He pushes himself to grab his shoes. It takes him several tries to get them on and then to get himself off the couch, but he does it. He needs to see if he can find her. His fear of being abandoned is dictating his need to seek her out. 

Everything hurts. Everything. He’s trying to keep his heart from suffering the same fate.


	78. History Lesson With Peter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning : inaccurate history ahead. The author has chosen to take creative licensing in retelling of historical events. Please keep this in mind. :)

“What do you think? Does it look okay?” Peter asks. Chase is sitting on the couch with her own ipad looking over the paper he’d emailed her. She’s got her index finger just inside her mouth, every now and then pressing down on her lip as she goes over the paper.

“Chase?”

“The idea is there, kid, but your flow sucks. You’ve got everything disjointed. There’s a paragraph in the middle here that talks about why he’s your hero and the first paragraph talks about his accomplishments and then there’s another paragraph that’s just you gushing over him,” she says with a small laugh.

“How can I fix it?”

“Let me see if I have markup capabilities on here and I’ll notate what to put where, and anything else like run-on sentences, punctuation, etc. You fix it, shoot it to me again and we’ll see. Did you do your reference sheet?”

“I don’t even know where to begin,” Peter confesses.

“You do know Word has this neat thing that will help you do the references, right?”

“For real?”

Chase laughs at how surprised the kid sounds.

“Absolutely. You just plug in the information into the boxes it gives you and it does the rest.”

Peter is suddenly distracted, looking over at the entrance to the lounge area. She looks over, but doesn’t see anything. She looks at Peter who is smiling now.

“Hi, Mr. Barnes! Are you okay? You look like you got hit by a truck!” Peter gasps getting up. Chase looks at the doorway again. Bucky is there looking every kind of miserable and hurting.

“Bucky!” she says jumping up and heading for him. “Baby, what are you doing?”

“I woke up and you were gone,” he groans. She puts her arm around his waist and Peter gets up and helps putting his other arm over his shoulders and they help Bucky to the couch.

“Honey, I sent you a text. You fell asleep and I didn’t want to wake you before I left,” Chase explains as she takes her seat next to him. Bucky looks ashamed suddenly. Peter is watching this in fascination.

“I didn’t check. I just...I got up and you weren’t there,” he says softly. Chase sits up on her knees and puts her arms around him. Bucky wraps his arm around her waist and rests his head on her chest. He’s hot, and she can feel the muscles in his shoulders and back are hard as rock. Apparently the rub down and shower only helped for so long.

“Are you alright, Mr. Barnes?”

“I’m good, kid. Just out of sorts a little,” Bucky answers. Chase lets him go and sits back down next to him.

“Peter,” Chase says, diverting the kids’ attention from Bucky back to herself.

“Yeah?”

“Was there anything else you needed help with?”

“I’ve got some history stuff…”

Chase looks at Bucky. He’s miserable and in pain. She hadn’t meant to scare him when she left and she regrets not waking him up now.

“I’ll be alright, baby,” Bucky whispers to her. “Help him out.”

“Bucky, we need to get you back to the apartment,” she protests.

“I’m fine,” he insists. Chase sighs heavily, disbelieving what he’s telling her. The visual signs clearly contradict what he’s telling her.

“We can do the history thing another time,” Peter offers, clearly seeing Bucky’s in pain.

“What are you doing in history, Peter?” Chase asks.

“We just started World War two and I hate history.”

“Awww, don’t hate, kid,” Bucky says and smiles.

“Dude, WW2 is some heavy shit. There’s so much going on both overseas and here in the States...this was one of the few times I paid attention in history,” Chase says.

“Really?” Peter asks. “Was it...I mean...in your world was it different?”

“Goddammit, Tony!” Chase yells. “Is there _anyone_ he hasn’t told?”

“Don’t be upset with him, Chase,” Peter says automatically taking the defensive for Tony. “It just sort of happened when we talked last. He asked me what I thought about your help and I told him you were going to help me with my paper and then it just kinda went from there.”

“Sweet Christ,” she grumbles.

“Stark strikes again,” Bucky mutters. “Let it go, doll. The kid doesn’t seem bothered.”

“No! I think it’s cool! I mean, you’re from an alternate reality and you came here through a portal!”

“Nothing much phases you, does it?” Chase asks, unable to mask her smile at the kid’s enthusiasm and nearly untouched innocence.

“I mean I see stuff all the time and when you see a six foot guy grow into a twenty foot guy and you gotta yell at the old folks to do a Star Wars move to get him down…”

“You’re a fucking trip, Peter,” Chase says laughing. Even Bucky is smiling at the kid’s admission.

“Whadido?”

“Nothing,” Chase says still smiling. “I don’t know if what happened where I’m from is the same as here. There’s obvious differences. Hydra being one. At least as far as I know.”

“So, no Hydra in your world?” Peter asks. Bucky leans back into the couch cushions and groans painfully.

“Buck -”

“I’m alright. I’m curious to hear about this, too. It means I get a little more insight into you, doll,” he says taking her hand and kissing her palm. Peter is smiling stupidly on the loveseat across from them.

“Buck…”

“I’m good. I promise.”

Chase smiles devilishly and Bucky blinks a  few times.

“We can discuss that later,” she says quietly. Bucky’s face lights up and he grins, which is just what Chase wanted to see.

“Uh…” Peter says, looking from Bucky to Chase and back again.

“Tell you, what, Peter,” Chase begins, “I’ll tell you about what happened in my world if you promise me you’ll pay attention in class and not just base your learning on what I tell you.”

“Yeah! Absolutely!” the kid agrees quickly. Chase can see Bucky trying not to laugh at Peter’s enthusiasm.

“Did you start anything with the war yet?” she asks.

“Just that it started sometime in the 40s I think.”

“They didn’t start you on what lead up to the war, what was happening here in the States, anything on Hitler?” she questions. Peter thinks about this for a moment.

“Not that...no?” he answers finally.

“Keep in mind what you promised,” Chase advises. “Let’s start from the 30’s. 1929 the stock market crashes. It’s a fucking shit storm.”

“OH! Like the recession we had here?” Peter asks.

“Eh...sort of. But this time the banks weren’t government insured and when the stock market crashed the banks took people’s money and kicked rocks.”

“I remember that,” Bucky says. “We lost everything because of that goddamn bank we had our money in.”

Peter is wide-eyed as he listens.

“The country is in total fucking disarray. Jobs are few and far between, people are starving, they have soup kitchens and bread lines that have lines and lines of people looking for help. The midwest is a fucking desert because of over farming...literal shit storm here, kid,” Chase continues.

“We read about the Dust Bowl,” Peter offers.

“So, the country is tanked. Meanwhile, somewhere in a prison overseas, this asshat Hitler is writing a book on how he plans on taking over the world. Mein Kampf. He pretty well lays out exactly what he’s going to do. No one pays any mind to him. He gets out and heads to an already broken and beaten Germany.”

“Why Germany?” Peter asks.

“Because they had their asses kicked in the first World War,” Bucky answers. “Perfect place to set up shop and rally people behind you.”

“You were like a year old when it ended, did they teach you this shit in school, too?” Chase asks.

“And you know my birthday? I’ve got a shit ton of catching up to do with you, baby,” he jests.

“You’re a March baby,” Chase says with a smile. He grins and takes her hand. He tugs on her, and Chase picks up on his attempt to get her to move a little closer to him. He likes being near her it seems and he loves physical contact.

“What’s your birthday?” Peter asks directing the question to Chase.

“July.”

“July what?” Bucky asks, carefully draping his arm over her. She hears a soft whine as he does so, forcing himself past the pain to hold her.

“7th. Anyway,” she says pulling them back to the history lesson. “Germany is down and out and Hitler takes advantage and tells them all of their problems were caused by certain groups. Mainly Jewish folk, but Hitler hated blacks, gypsies, anyone who didn’t really fit his idea of the perfect race. Ironically, he didn’t fit that picture either.”

“So what did he think the perfect race was? Super humans?” Peter asks. Chase can see he’s trying to wrap his mind around this.

“Steve would have been his ideal human male,” Chase answers. “Blonde hair, blue eyes and built like a brick shithouse.”

Bucky bursts out laughing. Peter is grinning.

“Oh god, it hurts to fucking laugh,” Bucky groans.

“Serves you right, smartass,” she scolds. Bucky sticks his tongue out at her and Chase immediately thinks of things that tongue could do. She feels the heat on her cheeks and shakes her head. She feels Bucky lean in closer to her.

“I want you to tell me what you’re thinking when we get home,” he whispers in her ear. He kisses her cheek and slowly leans back. Chase is fighting the urge to tell Peter to run for his goddamn life so he doesn’t witness her mounting and potentially crippling Bucky.

“Jesus Christ,” she mutters. She takes a deep breath and sees Bucky giving her that grin. He knows he’s getting to her. Alright, game on.

“I’d show you,” she whispers leaning over to him, her lips just a fraction of a millimeter from his ear, “but you’re hurt and I don’t want to make it worse,” she finishes and then just for added pleasure, she kisses that spot where his jaw is hinged. He breathes in sharply and she sees the goosebumps erupt on his skin.

“Evil. So very fucking evil,” he moans, but he’s still got that damn grin on his face.

“Do...do you need me to leave?” Peter asks.

“No,” Chase says before Bucky can say anything. He cocks an eyebrow at her and she shakes her head no.

“Moving on,” Chase says, desperately trying to keep her hormones under control, “Hitler gets the German people behind him. He starts building an army, convinces the people that it’s everyone else’s fault but theirs that they’re in this situation. He starts the persecution of Jews and others. He starts invading nearby countries. He sets up death camps to exterminate those he deems _undesirables_. Italy joins up with Hitler, Mussolini thinking Hitler is just the shit. Then Japan joins the party - The Axis of Evil they get dubbed. Other European countries start to retaliate. Meanwhile, we’re here pretty much trying to sort our shit out. Unless you believe the conspiracy theories.”

“Which conspiracy are you referring to?” Bucky asks. Peter is on the edge of the loveseat now watching them intently.

“Pearl Harbor. Are you talking about the Manhattan Project?” she asks, thoroughly intrigued now.

“There was other stuff. Look at Steve. Howard Stark had his hand in that. First time I saw Steve after they gave him the serum I thought I had gone insane.”

“I bet that was a shock to the system,” Chase concurs, “skinny kid when you shipped out, towering hulk of muscle and goofiness when you see him again.”

“He’s definitely goofy,” Bucky laughs. He stops almost immediately and winces.

“Sweetheart,” Chase whispers, squeezing his hand a little. He gives her a pained smile.

“I’m good, baby. Tell him about Pearl Harbor.”

“Tell you what, Peter. I’ll tell you about Pearl Harbor the next time we get together. Work on your paper and we’ll go over the rest of our twisted history lesson next time? Fair?” Chase asks. Bucky shakes his head no at Peter. Peter looks from Bucky to Chase. Chase gives him the all-knowing-do-as-I-say look.

“Okay,” he agrees reluctantly. “I can text you tomorrow?”

“Sure. Stay safe out there kid,” she says getting up.

“Will do. Thanks, Chase. You too, Mr. Barnes. I hope you feel better, sir,” the kid says earnestly. Bucky gives him a gently smile and nods.

“I’m in good hands, kid,” Bucky tells him. Peter grins, apparently thinking it was a dirty joke. His cheeks get red as he puts his stuff away.

“See you guys later,” Peter says as he leaves.


	79. Garden Tub and Sexy Times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT WARNING  
> There is smut.  
> This is a long chapter.  
> There is smut.  
> Don't say you haven't been warned.   
> Enjoy.

“You didn’t have to chase him off, baby,” Bucky says looking up at her from the couch.

“Buck, you’re in pain. The longer we’re in here, the longer it’s going to take to get us back to the apartment and the longer it takes for me to get you settled and rubbed down.”

“You’re spoiling me -”

“No, honey, I’m trying to take care of you. Especially if you want me to tell you what I was thinking earlier,” she says giving him a playful smile. Bucky’s eyes light up. 

“When do I get to dote on you, baby?”

“When you’re better,” she answers. “Come on, handsome,” she says extending her hand to help him up. He takes her hand and grunts as he pushes himself off the couch. She pulls him into her arms and he wraps his arms around her, hugging her tightly. 

“You’re still going to tell me what you were thinking,” he whispers in her ear. She feels that heat in her cheeks and that burning desire for him erupt in her. 

“You are a jerk,” she grumbles as she maneuvers herself so he can lean on her. 

“I know it,” he says through clenched teeth. “Fuck this hurts.”

“Alright, alright, easy, honey. Come on, I think getting you into that garden tub for a hot soak is in order,” she says as they make their way to the elevators. 

They get to the elevators in silence. Bucky leaning on Chase, every now and again she can see him grimace in pain. 

She helps him off the elevator and down the hall. 

“Almost there, handsome.”

“Garden tub, huh?” he asks as they step inside her apartment. 

“If the shower helped you this morning and the rub down last night then maybe a hot soak and a rub down will help.”

“I don’t want to go back to sleep, Chase. No more pills.”

“Alright, Bucky,” she agrees, “no more pills. For now. When we go to bed later -”

“I’m staying again?” He sounds surprised by this. She’s surprised that he’s surprised.

“You don’t want to?” 

“No, baby, I do. I do. I just - I guess I didn’t think that was an option,” he answers softly. 

“I want you to stay, Bucky. Besides, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be alone, do you?”

“No. And I don’t want to be alone, either,” he confesses. 

“Then stay here, honey. Let me call Steve and tell him where you are so he doesn’t freak the fuck out,” she says helping Bucky to the couch. He sits down heavily and groans in pain. Chase puts her hand on his cheek and he leans into her, just like the night before. She pulls up Steve’s number and sees Bucky reaching for her phone.

“Let me talk to him. My phone is in the bedroom. I think.”

She hands him the phone and runs her fingers through his hair. He sighs and calls Steve, putting the call on speaker. 

“How is he?” First words out of Steve’s mouth.

“He is fine. He hurts like fucking hell, but he is fine,” Bucky answers in the third person.

“Buck?”

“Steve.”

“Why the fuck are you calling me from her phone? Is she okay?”

“I’m alright. He can’t remember where his phone is at the moment. I wanted to call you to let you know he’s still here with me,” Chase answers. 

“Staying over again, huh?” Steve is teasing Bucky. “She must really like you.”

“Christ I hope so,” he says and then laughs a little. 

“How sweet.”

“Imma beat his ass,” Chase grumbles. 

“Not if I get to him first,” Bucky states. Steve is laughing over the phone.

“Whatever. Take care of him, dollface. You need anything - either of you - you call me. Understand?” This is Steve being the overbearing big brother now. 

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Chase barks and salutes the phone. Bucky laughs and she can hear Steve growling at them both. 

“Be good,” Steve says disconnecting the call. 

“Spoiled sport,” Bucky grouses. 

“Yeah, because you’re up for fun and games,” Chase teases. Bucky looks up at her and shakes his head. 

“Believe me, Chase, I wish I was,” he says sullenly. He seems to realize what he’s just admitted and looks up at Chase worriedly. 

“I didn’t mean to sound like I’m only after a piece of ass, baby. That’s not…”

“Calm down, handsome. You’re not the only one with an itch to scratch in this room.”

“No?”

“No. The sectional has been on Tinder for over a week looking for a recliner to screw.”

“I’m done,” he says laughing. “You’re a fucking pistol. Steve was right.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t tell him that. You’ll never live it down.”

“No joke.”

“Want to try the tub idea?”

“Are you going to join me?”

“Tempting, but probably not a good idea -”

“Till I’m healed,” he interjects.

“I was going to say because water isn’t a very good lubricant, you smartass.”

Bucky studies her for a moment. She can see he’s trying to decide if she’s being serious or an asshole. Hard decision this one. 

“You’re killing me,” he says finally. 

“No dying in baseball,” she says and then smiles.

“I thought it was no crying in baseball.” He smiles grandly, having picked up on her movie insinuation. 

“Nicely done, handsome,” she says, overly pleased he got the reference. 

“I have my moments.”

“So…”

“Try the garden tub. I still want you to join me. It won’t hurt for you to relax a little, baby. You need it, too.”

Chase considers this for a moment. Do they go in naked? Seems like a waste to go in anything more…

“Let’s say I agree to this. Are we going in our respective undergarments or nude?”

Bucky makes the  _ O _ face with this question. She can tell by the look on his face which answer he wants to give. 

“I’ll leave that up to you, doll.”

“Come one, handsome. Let’s get you in the tub,” she says helping him up. She hears him sigh heavily, clearly thinking she’s going to bypass getting in the tub with him, nude or otherwise. 

She walks him back to the bedroom and lets him sit down on the bed. He winces. 

“Think you can strip on your own or do you want some help?” she asks. He’s clearly in a lot of pain.

“You going to tell me what you’re planning?”

“For what, handsome?” 

“Are you getting in with me?”   


“I am very tempted, Bucky. Very. But…”

“I get it, baby,” he sighs. “I get it.”

She can tell this is something he really wants to have happen, even though he knows he’s in no shape to do much but soak. 

She helps him out of his shirt, exposing his chest. He rubs at his shoulders, the movement severely limited in his right arm. 

“I’m going to get the water started in the tub. Will you be alright for a few minutes, handsome?”

He nods his head. She can tell by the look on his face he’s in a lot of pain. She runs her fingers along his jaw and kisses the top of his head before heading to the bathroom. 

She sits on the edge of the oversized garden tub and turns on the hot water, letting it warm up. She lets the tub fill with the hottest water she can stand, hoping this doesn’t burn her Bucky. 

“Hey, beautiful.”

Chase turns a bit to see Bucky leaning on the the doorway into the bathroom in nothing but his boxers. Again, nearly nothing left to the imagination. She forces herself to look away from his crotch. 

“Hey, handsome. How do you want to do this?”

“With you, but that’s up to you.”

“Naked or…” she says looking down at his boxers again briefly. She sees him try and adjust his positioning and grimace as he does.

“Naked, I guess. You want to watch?” He’s trying to be playful. 

“For modesty’s sake I’ll close my eyes,” she says unable to hide her smile. He gives her a pained smile and nods his head. She gets up and helps him into the bathroom, bringing him over to the tub. She helps him ease down onto the edge till he’s sitting down. He grabs the waistband of his boxers then looks up at Chase. Her lips twitch, and she makes a decision. 

She pulls her shirt over her head exposing her bra. Bucky’s cocks an eyebrow at her. She moves onto her shoes, socks and then undoes her jeans and steps out of them. She sees the pleased smile on his face as he looks her over. 

“I’ll get in with you,” she says softly. “Come on,” she says stepping towards him again. He stands up and pulls his boxers down until he can’t go any further without causing himself pain. Chase takes over, admiring his abs and following that thin line of hair down to the family jewels. She pulls the boxers down, kneeling down in front of him so he can step out of them. She looks up at him and sees the reaction she’s causing. He’s hard, his head leaned back, hands gripping the tub sides so hard his knuckles are white. She leans back on her legs, running her fingers over his calf muscle and up to his thigh. Bucky focuses his attention back to her, and she undoes her bra letting it slide off of her shoulders, exposing her breasts. 

“Chase,” he moans. 

She runs her fingers over his thighs again, marveling at the muscle mass. She gets back up slowly and pulls down the bikini briefs she’s wearing. Bucky’s barely able to hold onto the tub now. 

“Come on, handsome. Let’s get in before you end up on the floor,” she says, defying her own carnal need for him. She steps into the tub and then offers him her arms to help him step in after. 

“You’re fucking gorgeous, Chase,” he breathes, as she pulls him towards her. He presses himself against her, his erection rubbing against her leg making both of them moan. 

“Sit down, honey. Come on,” she says as she descends slowly into the water. He grinds his teeth and goes into the water. She sees the pain slowly melt from his face as the water envelopes them. 

“Oh god,” he sighs, leaning his head against the edge of the tub. Chase works her way next next to him, laying her head on his shoulder and putting her hand on his chest. She wants to slide her hand down his chest and run her fingers over his cock, take his hand and guide it to the aching void between her legs, then straddle him, letting him fill her with his massive package. 

She feels his hand on her face, hot from the water they’re soaking in.    


“I don’t want you to hurt anymore than you do now, sweetheart,” she says softly.

“I know, baby, I know,” he sighs. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want you in the worst possible way right now.”

“Just relax with me for now, handsome. When we’re done, I’ll rub you down again and make us dinner, alright?”

“Why are you so goddamn good to me, Chase?” 

“Because you’re letting me.”

He rests his head on hers and sighs. 

The water is starting to cool off, and Chase shifts looking for a warm spot. There are none now that their bodies have adjusted to the temperature of the water. 

“I think it’s time to get out,” Bucky says picking up on Chase’s movements.

“Seems that way. How are you feeling?”

“Little better. Not much, but a little.”

“Ready to get out and move on to phase two?” she asks. He smiles.

“Phase two, huh?”

“Phase two,” she repeats kissing him on the jaw. 

“Yeah,” he agrees. She stands up, the water cascading off of her body. She sees Bucky’s eyes roaming over her body. He pushes himself up, grunting as he does as his sore muscles give him some resistance. She gives him the once over quickly, then steps out of the tub and grabs towels for them both and then helps Bucky step out of the tub. She hands him a towel and she leans over the edge of the tub to let the water out. She feels his fingers run lightly over her back and she’s instantly reminded how much she wants him. 

She grabs the towel and wraps it around herself. Bucky doesn’t hide his disappointment at not being able to ogle her naked body anymore.

“What would it take to get you to just run around the apartment naked?” he asks as they head to the bedroom together.

“Depends,” she says helping him to the bed. 

“On what?”

“On you.”

“Not at all cryptic,” he laughs. Chase pulls the towel open and lets it fall to the ground. She sees Bucky’s breathing increase. 

“Good?”

“Yeah,” he says, transfixed on her. 

“Sit back a little on the bed, honey,” she says approaching him. 

“I’m okay?” He’s unsure of what she’s doing. Chase smiles, maneuvers herself between his legs and undoes the towel. She pulls it open and see’s he’s hard again. She takes his hands and guides them to her breasts, squeezing them with him, listening to him moan her name softly. 

“You’re teasing me…”

“Am I?” she asks, taking his hands from her body and sinking to her knees in front of him. 

“Chase -”

It’s all he can say before she has her mouth on his cock, slowly working her way up and down on him, fondling his balls with one hand, using her other hand to compensate for the part of his shaft she can’t reach with her mouth. She feels his hands on her shoulders, gripping then releasing in time with the pressure she applies with her lips and the suction she’s able to achieve on him. 

“Chase,” he pants. “Baby…”

She keeps going, alternating pressure and speeds, listening to his moans and pleas for her to keep going. It’s not much longer and she can feel him tensing, his breathing getting faster and deeper. He’s close. She works a little faster, making good use of her tongue and lips, sending him into a frenzy of moans and breathless panting of her name. He grips her shoulders tightly and moans one last time as he comes. She swallows, waits for him to finish and then slowly withdraws her lips from him, enjoying the aftershocks she’s causing and the low growl coming from him. 

She leans back on her legs and looks up at him, licking her lips and smiling.

He looks like he’s about to pass out.

“You alright, handsome?”

He just nods his head. She tilts her head and studies him for a moment. 

“Buck?”

“I can’t feel my legs.”

“Jesus Christ! Bucky, are you serious?”   


“Not entirely, no,” he says with that half grin. 

“This is what I get,” she grumbles getting up, trying to act offended. 

“Come here, baby,” he says grabbing her arms and pulling her towards him.

“Are you good?” she asks running her fingers through his hair. 

“What am I going to do for you?” he asks running his hands over her breasts and down her hips.

“Nothing. For now. This was for you. Something to help ease some of that tension down there.”

“You certainly did that, baby.”

“Ready to get rubbed down?”

“Baby...stop...you’ve done  _ more _ than enough,” he protests. 

“And you told me I could dote on you and take care of you, remember?” she responds with a smile.

“Goddammit,” he grumbles. “I wasn’t expecting this.”

“That’s what made it fun. Come on, honey. Let me get the stuff and rub you down again. I want to see if we can get you and keep you mobile tomorrow.”

He nods his head, but doesn’t let her go. Chase runs her fingers through his hair, as Bucky rests his face against her bare breasts. 

“Bucky?”

“Alright,” he sighs. He cups her breasts, kissing each one before running his thumbs over her nipples. Chase feels her legs get weak. He picks up on this and squeezes her breasts then runs his hands over her hips to her thighs. He keeps his left hand on her hip and lets his right hand roam towards the front of her body, over her pelvis and between her legs. As soon as she feels his fingers on her clit her legs buckle a little as she moans. He moves her legs further apart by pulling on her hip with his left hand. He finds his way to her heat and she has to grab his shoulders.

“Jesus Christ, baby,” he moans when he feels how wet she is. He’s hard again. He removes his fingers, making her whine in desperation and pulls her towards him. He slides back a little on the bed, grabs her by the back of her thighs and pulls her until she has nowhere to go but on his lap.

“Bucky...no…” she half-heartedly protests. She wants this more than she wants to admit right now.

“It’s alright,” he murmurs, kissing her neck, pulling her thighs more till she’s straddling him on the bed. “You’re so goddamn wet, baby. So, wet and so ready for me.”

He moves one hand from her hip back to running circles over her clit making her buck and moan on his lap and he hasn’t even entered her yet. That though is short lived as he buries his face in her breasts and guides himself inside her. She cries out, the feel and girth of him more than she was expecting and sending waves of pleasure through her body. He groans loudly, as she starts moving slowly on him, getting into a rhythm, gripping his back for traction. He keeps running circles on her clit, driving her into a frenzy on his lap as she pushes and grinds into him seeking her own release as it builds like a tidal wave. 

She hits that mark just as he thrusts up into her from the bed, her body quaking as she comes. He thrusts again and she can feel him pulsing inside her as he comes inside her, a low growl escaping him as he finishes. 

“Jesus Christ,” she moans, resting her head on his shoulder. He’s got his hands on her hips, holding her still on his lap. She shifts a little and she feels him flinch and groan.

“Shit! Bucky! Oh god, I’m so sorry,” she says immediately panicking and trying to climb off of him. He’s not so willing to let her go, though.

“I’m alright. I’m alright,” he says softly. 

“No, baby...goddammit,” she growls at herself. She climbs off of him and grabs the towel from the floor. “I should have waited. I could have fucking waited -”

“You didn’t need to. I wanted this as much as you did, Chase,” he says reaching for her arm and pulling her back to him. She’s kicking herself for not waiting, for potentially making things worse for him now. 

“Baby,” he says lifting her chin, “I will be fine. Let’s get cleaned up. You promised me I could take a shower with you, remember?”

“I made no such promise,” she says looking him over. He grins and caresses her face. 

“Alright. Can we take a shower together?”

“Will you let me put that tiger balm on you again when we’re done and make you dinner?” She’s all but pleading with him now, afraid that she may have caused more harm to him by giving into her desire to ride him. 

“Let’s just do the lasagna, baby. It was delicious and honest to god you’ve done enough -”

“Yeah, probably hurting you more,” she mumbles. He takes her chin and holds her still so he can look into her eyes.

“It was my decision, Chase. I wanted this. And based on how wet you were, I’m going to guess you wanted it, too.”

“You have no idea,” she admits. 

“I have a small idea,” he teases sliding his hand between her legs and fingering the flesh between her folds. Chase feels her knees buckle again. He catches her, keeping her steady as he continues to work her over with his fingers until she’s barely able to stand and she’s crying out his name as she comes again. He removes his fingers and smiles at how soaked his fingers are. Chase can barely stay upright at this point, her thigh muscles aching from the workout. 

“Who’s evil now?” she asks him. He laughs. 

“Was it worth it?” he asks. 

“You’re very well endowed, Sergeant Barnes. And very adept with your endowments.”

“Says the girl with the pretty pink lips who gives blow jobs the devil himself would come up from Hell for.”

She laughs and she can feel herself blushing. He has that effect on her. 

“So...yeah...shower?” she asks. He smiles and pulls her into a deep kiss. She could ride him again or let him finger fuck her again or both. Both would be good. She needs to get herself in check or they’re both going to be unable to move. 

 


	80. Oh Shit

Bucky follows Chase into the bathroom and watches her as she turns the shower on, letting the water warm up for them. She’s beautiful naked. He couldn’t have asked or hoped for someone better than this pretty dame. He’s in over his head with her. All she’s done for him, all she’s continually willing to do...he wonders if she would be like this if she didn’t have the backstory on him from her world. Would things be different? Would she even have the faintest interest in him? 

“Bucky?”

He’s pulled from this line of thinking by the sound of her voice. He smiles, but the thoughts still linger in his mind. 

“Beautiful,” he responds and gives her a smile. She tilts her head and blinks slowly. He’s either not as good at hiding his emotions as he used to be or she’s really goddamn perceptive. 

“Penny for your thoughts, handsome,” she says extending her hand to him. He willingly takes it, but doesn’t answer. He doesn’t know if he should tell her that his insecurities are trying to drive him insane right now. He doesn’t want her to be upset.

“I’m good.” He’s lying. He’s not sure why, but he is.

“Hmm.”

Shit. She knows he’s not being honest. 

“Chase…” he doesn’t know what else to say and closes his mouth. 

“Would you like me to elaborate on how relationships work?” she asks, that hint of a smile on her lips. She’s using his line from earlier against him. 

“Can we take a shower first?” he says in hopes that by the time they’re done she’ll have forgotten about this.  

“Or you can tell while we’re in the shower.”

Fuuuuck. She’s not taking the bait like he’d hoped.

“Chase…”

She studies him for a moment then drops her gaze. 

“Come on, get in. You’re off to a great start if you won’t tell me what’s got those eyes so sad suddenly.”

She shuts the door behind him when he steps in the shower. She’s not getting in with him, and this hurts more than he thought it would. 

“I’m going to grab your clothes from the bedroom. I’ll be right back,” she says. He hears the bathroom door open and then close a moment later. He wants her to trust him, but he can’t be honest with her and give her the same fucking respect. She’s right, he’s off to a great start with her. 

 


	81. And She's Pissed Now

Chase walks into the bedroom trying not to be pissed at the double standard scenario Bucky has put her in. Trust me, but I don’t trust you. That’s nice. That’s just great. And to think, she was going to ask him to stay even longer, as long as he wanted. Move in, whatever. 

She wipes her eyes, pissed off at herself for crying and for entertaining the idea that there was a chance she could have been in a decent relationship for once. Maybe not stable, given what he does. Such bullshit. Plenty of fish in the sea. Yeah, there’s plenty of trash, too. She’s starting to believe she’s the trash. 

She pulls herself together, picks up one of the stray towels from earlier and wraps it around her body. She grabs Bucky’s clothes and heads back to the bathroom. She told him he could stay tonight. She’ll keep that promise. 

He’s stepping out of the shower, moving very gingerly as he does. She doesn’t look in his eyes, doesn’t look at his face. She hands him a towel and puts his clothes on the bathroom counter. 

“Chase, look at me.”

It wasn’t a request, it was a command. One she disobeys. 

“I’ll be done in a few minutes, if you want to wait in the bedroom or living room.”

“Chase.”

“James.”

She sees him flinch when she says his proper name. 

“I’ll tell you what I was thinking -”

“It’s alright,” she says looking up at him finally. “You can keep your double standards.”

She can see her words hurt him, which only makes her feel worse. He shakes his head and limps to the sink to get his clothes. 

She gets in the shower. She hears the bathroom door open then close. As soon as the door shuts she bursts into tears. 


	82. Call In The Cavalry And Hope It's Not Too Late

Bucky limps to the bedroom and sits on the edge of the bed. Her words cut him like a knife. He hurts and he has no one to blame but himself. This isn’t what he wanted. He should have just told her the truth, that he’s still insecure about things, that he’s scared this is too good to be true. Instead, he upset her and forced her to put up those defensive walls to keep him from getting any closer. 

He gets dressed and gets his phone from the nightstand.

“What’s wrong?” Steve sounding worried already. Bucky has to choke back the tears just to answer.

“I fucked up.”

“How? Where is she? What happened?”

“I can’t...I’m still trying to come to grips why she’s so infatuated with me. Or...was…”

“Was? Past tense? Buck, what the fuck happened?”

“I gave her a speech earlier about trusting me and that’s how relationships work...I somehow got on the thought process of what she would be like if she was from our world, you know...if she didn’t have the insight into my past like she does…”

“Jesus, Buck. The girl is infatuated with you. You think she’s got some kind of Munchhausen thing for you?” 

“I don’t know, Steve. Does she? Am I just grasping at fucking straws here?”

“You’re an idiot. I love you like a brother, but you’re a goddamn idiot. Yeah, she knows your past. Do you really want to dwell on what ifs? She’s infatuated with you. She nearly fucking melted the first time she saw you in the elevator. She had to down like ten fucking shots of vodka to get herself under control. When she talks about you the emotion in her voice is raw, not fake, not forced. And what are the odds that this is some kind of complex? Are you going to throw away your shot with this girl - who you  _ clearly _ are fucking nuts for - on the off chance that that’s the case? What if she’s the real deal, Buck?”

“What if she isn’t?”

“And this is why you’re going to lose her. I’ll be over,” he says hanging up. 

Bucky hangs his head. It may already be too late.


	83. Was This A Mistake?

Chase steps out of the shower, still crying, trying very hard to muffle her sobs so he doesn’t hear her. She’s beating herself up for thinking this was anything more than what it was. They got their rocks off, it’s over now. Done. Her usefulness to him has been spent. 

She dries off, trying to get herself under control so he doesn’t see her tears. Why give him that satisfaction? She’s given him enough.

She steps from the bathroom and goes into the bedroom. Bucky isn’t in the room. She’s actually relieved by this...but then another thought occurs to her - what if he left? What if he just fucking left without another word? Again? This hurts more than the double standard shit and she can’t stop herself from crying again. She can barely see through her tears as she gets dressed, convinced he’s left her.

She sits on the edge of the bed with the tissues and breathes deeply trying to calm down. It’s a learning experience, she tells herself. Even in this world she’s to remain alone. Better to have found out now than to find out later, right? 

It takes a few minutes, but she gets herself under control. She decides to go see if he took his clothes with him. If not, she can call Steve and have him come get them. She’ll call Starky later and see if she can tag along with him, just to try and keep her mind off this shit. 

She gets up and heads to the living room. She stops as soon as she sets foot in the living room. Steve is there with Bucky. Bucky’s eyes are red...was he crying? What the flying fuck…


	84. Steve The Mediator

Steve sits on the couch listening to Bucky recount the details of what’s happened with he and Chase today. And up until Bucky’s insecurities got the better of him everything seemed to be going uncannily well for the two of them. By Buck’s own admission, Chase has done nothing but take the best care of him possible. He sees the piles of laundry, which she’s done. She cooked for him, comforted him after he woke up panicking, rubbed him down to help his sore muscles, soaked in tub with him - naked - which he felt a mild pang of jealousy about. Pretty dame like Chase has to have a to die for body. Nat’s got a to die for body. Sharon did, sort of. Small tits aren’t his thing. Chase has a nice hefty rack. Bigger than Nat’s by a bit, way bigger than Sharon. Buck’s a lucky sumbitch. 

“What do I do?” Bucky asks him for the fifth time. 

“Apologize first of all and hope she’s willing to accept it. Tell her what you’re so goddamn afraid of. I bet you ten to one she eases your mind about it.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“Don’t think like that, Buck. You’re setting yourself up for…” he trails off because he sees Chase standing at the edge of the living room, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Jesus Christ. These two are so stupid for each other and yet here we are doing this shit. 

Bucky sees him looking and turns around to see what has Steve’s attention. 

“Chase,” he whimpers. Seeing Bucky like this kills Steve. He masks his pain for everyone but him, and even those displays are few and far between. She’s the only other one he’s taken that mask off for. Steve knows he loves her, that his best friend is absolutely taken with this girl. 

“What are you doing here?” Chase asks. She doesn’t make any effort to come closer. She just stands there at the edge of the living room. 

“Me? I came over when numbnuts called me. He said he pissed you off and he was freaking out. From the looks of things he did more than just piss you off -”

“You don’t need to be here, Steve. If he wants to go, he’s free to do so. I’m not his keeper.”

The walls are back up and she’s radiating venom and fierceness to protect herself. Bucky does the same goddamn thing. Good, now we have two of them. Steve sighs. He should just kick both their asses and then make them kiss and make up. 

“Chase, I’m sorry, baby. I am. I was wrong, baby, I’m so sorry,” Bucky says, his voice shaking just a bit still. 

“It’s fine. Lesson learned,” she states coldly. Bucky recoils like he’s been shot. Even Steve flinches at her words. This...isn’t good. 

“What lesson is that, Chase?” Steve dares to ask, hoping this doesn’t somehow backfire on him and send Bucky spiraling into a manic depression.

“Not to trust my heart.”

“Don’t say that, Chase. I was wrong, not you,” Bucky says getting up slowly from the sectional. She doesn’t respond. Oh boy.

“That’s what you got from this, Chase?” Steve asks her. “Not to trust yourself? Your heart? Why?”

“Because I don’t get the happy fucking ending that all the Hallmark Greeting Cards promise, Steve. I don’t get to be included in that ‘everyone has a soulmate’ parade. Even here. I should have known better. I  _ do  _ know better.”

Steve sees Bucky sway a bit at her words. Steve’s hurt, too. That’s a hell of a sucker-punch she just threw at them both. 

“Chase, I was wrong. I can’t expect you to trust me if I can’t do the same with you. I should have told you what I was thinking when you asked...I should have shown the same willingness to trust that you displayed this morning. I didn’t. My own insecurities...my own issues...everything I’ve been through, Chase, I’m still trying to work through. The last thing I wanted was to push you away,” Bucky says. Steve can see the tears on Buck’s face, falling freely as he speaks. Chase hasn’t moved. Her face is like chiseled stone, her eyes display no emotion. She’s so deep in her protective fortress right now he’s not sure either of them will reach her. Who hurt this kid so fucking bad that she’s got this heavy of a defense mechanism?

“Stay or leave. The choice is yours,” she says turning around and disappearing down the hall. Holy shit. 

Bucky looks to Steve for help and Steve isn’t sure what the hell to do right now. The only other person who knows her well - if at all - is Stark. And if Stark finds out Bucky hurt her he’s going to flip shit and come down on Bucky with everything he’s got, regardless of the fact that this was all done unintentionally. Stark still seethes hatred for Buck, even knowing that he wasn’t able to help what he did and _knowing_ Bucky remembers all his victims and has to live with that every goddamn day. 

“Chase,” Steve says getting up from the sectional. “Buck, stay in here. Don’t fucking move,” he orders. “Chase, wait a minute,” he calls to her. He heads back the hallway to find her, leaving Bucky alone in the living room. 

He goes back to the bedroom to find her sitting on the bed, legs crossed, looking like a pissed off goddess statue from some long forgotten religion. 

“What.” She doesn’t look up, doesn’t give any indication she knows he’s in the room other than that single word. 

“Chase, listen to me. He’s got issues that he’s still dealing with. One of the biggest is his insecurity around people. He only trusts me. Well...and you -”

“He doesn’t trust me, Rogers. He got what he needed from me. Take his shit and help him back to his place or keep him at yours. He needs someone to keep an eye on him.”

“You’re as big of a fucking asshole as he is. You really want me to pack up his shit and get him out of here, Chase? Based on what you just said you’re still concerned about his well-being. He made a mistake. He panicked. He’s afraid he’s going to push you away -”

“He’s succeeded.”

“Has he?”

She glares at him, that stoney expression still on her face. 

“Did you see his face when you went out there, Chase? Did you see he’s been crying? Over you?”

She doesn’t answer, but he can see the stone melting and the hurt she feels starting to show. She shakes her head and wipes the fresh tears from her eyes. 

“I’m not doing this. I’m not going to put myself out there anymore and get hurt. He got what he wanted, I guess. Like I said, I’m supposed to be alone. My world. This worlds. Any world. It doesn’t matter.”

“You really believe that?” he asks, not sure what else to say to her now.

“You really believe that horseshit about there being someone for everyone?”

“Yeah, actually, I do. And I believe you and Buck are meant to be together. You don’t just open yourself up to someone without there being some kind of emotional attachment there, kiddo. You don’t accept that offering without there being some kind of emotional attachment, either. You don’t know him personally, but you took him in and took care of him. He’s so goddamn scared he’s going to lose this - lose you. He panicked, he didn’t want to tell you what he was thinking.”

“Don’t. Just stop.”

“Stop what? Telling you the truth about him? Who knows him better than I do, Chase? Who’s the only person he’s confided in, at least until you came along? I’ve known him my whole life. Through the good and the bad. He’s trying to get his head straight. Shuri got the Hydra programming taken care of, but she couldn’t mend the pain, the fear, the insecurity, the nightmares...he’s been dealing with that on his own for the most part. This is the first time I’ve seen him try and be sociable with someone other than me. He comes out of his shell for you.”

“What do you want from me?” she demands angrily, fresh tears streaming from her eyes. 

“Tell me you don’t feel anything for him. Tell me you don’t want to try and get through this. You do, and I’ll get him packed up and we’ll go, no questions asked, no judgement on my part. But you tell me right now that you don’t feel anything for him.”

“I can’t do that,” she whimpers. “I can’t do that. I can’t tell you that.” She breaks and starts to cry. Steve comes over to the bed and sits next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

“He’s a mess. So are you. The two of you are crazy for each other. Maybe you don’t see the daffy lovestruck way he gazes at you, but I do. I have. And I’ve seen how you look at him. It’s the same look practically. You know he’s got issues, Chase. You  _ know _ this. He’s trying to work through them, but he needs help doing so. Are you still going to fault him for bottling up? For being afraid he’s going to scare you off by telling you what’s on his mind?”

“No,” she sobs. “No, I won’t.” 

“Do you forgive me, baby?” 

Steve looks up to see Bucky in the doorway, tears in his eyes, too. Chase jumps from the bed and into Bucky’s arms where she cries into his shoulder. Bucky has her in a bearhug, his face buried in her hair as he cries. 

Steve shakes his head, these two are a fucking mess, but it’s clear they’re very much in love with each other. 


	85. Steve The Hero

Chase cries into Bucky’s shoulder until she has no more tears to shed and her eyes burn and her head hurts. He has her in a tight embrace, his face in her hair.

“It’s okay, baby. Don’t cry anymore. I won’t keep things from you,” he keeps saying over and over which only makes her want to cry more for being so goddamn insensitive to him. Steve is right, she  _ knows _ he has issues. Yeah, he pulled he double standard shit, but…

“Let it go, Chase. You, too, Buck. Move on. Now kiss and make up. I have shit to do,” Steve tells them. Chase lifts her head and wipes her eyes. She feels Bucky’s hand on her face wiping away the tears on her cheeks. She looks up at him, his eyes are red from his own tears. She presses her lips to his, taking his face in her hands, her tongue dancing with his. She feels his hand slide to the small of her back and the other he places on the back of her neck, entwining his fingers in her hair. 

“Better now?” Steve jokes as she and Bucky break from their kiss. Bucky looks to Chase for confirmation of this. She nods her head and he pulls her back into the bearhug.

“Yes,” he answers for them both. 

“Are you staying?” Steve continues.

“He can if he wants to,” Chase says from his shoulder where her head is resting.

“I want to, baby,” he whispers and then kisses her head. “Let me walk Steve to the door, okay? I’ll be right back,” he says kissing her head again. Chase leans back and gives him a tired smile. She knows he wants to say something to Steve without her hearing it. That’s fine. Steve has been his only support, she won’t deny him that. 

She kisses him on the lips and he lets her go slowly.

“Thank you,” she says to Steve when Bucky finally lets her go.

“You two are stupid for each other. Don’t let dumb shit split you up,” he says grabbing her and hugging her. Steve’s a little less bearhug-y than Bucky, but only just. She can’t help but laugh at what he’s said. 

“I’ll see you later, dollface,” he says exiting the room.

“Give me a few minutes, baby. Please?” Bucky is begging her for this now. 

“It’s fine. I’ll be in here when you’re done,” she assures him. He smiles quickly then follows Steve out of the room. 


	86. Steve And Bucky Talk About Chase Briefly

Bucky meets Steve at the door

“You good now, Buck?” Steve asks him. 

“Yeah. I hope so,” he answers as he rubs his chin roughly.

“Listen to me, don’t bottle yourself up with her. You saw how upset she was. Tell me you don’t think she cares about you.”

“I know she does, Steve. I’m not going to argue that. Not anymore, at least.”

“She’s dynamite looking, Buck. You got yourself a fox.”

“Don’t be jealous,” he says with a small laugh. “Isn’t that what you’ve told me about you and Red?”

“Red doesn’t have a hefty rack on her like that,” Steve laughs. “Or a body that looks like it’s to die for. I mean she does, but…and I’m only guessing,” he adds quickly when Bucky looks at him quizzically. 

“I assure you, she’s got a body to die for. Curves in all the good places.”

“You’ve seen her naked?” Steve sounds overly impressed.

“I have. Do I need to call Nat and tell her you need a blowjob? Are you alright?” Bucky asks, mostly joking. Steve laughs. 

“Can’t help but admire her. I can run to the end of my chain and bark if nothing else, right?”

“That’s all you better do, punk."

“Not gonna mess with her, Buck. She’s hot, bothered and completely mad about you. Even if I was interested, I can’t hold a candle to you, man. She’s only got eyes for you.”

“I know you won’t mess with her, kid,” Bucky says quietly. “Just…”

“Don’t, Buck. You have no competition. Just trust her. She wants to take care of you. For god’s sake, let her.”

“I will. Just wish there was something I could do to show her I appreciate what she’s done,” he admits. 

“She’ll give you clues as to what she wants, you just have to listen. And tap that ass, man. Nothing better than makeup sex. I promise you that.”

“Get the fuck out of here,” Bucky laughs as he pushes Steve toward the door. Steve laughs that much more and leaves the apartment. Bucky is still laughing as he heads back to the bedroom. 


	87. Put Your Clothes Away And Tell Me What's Wrong

Bucky heads back to the bedroom and sees Chase sitting on the edge of the bed wiping at her eyes. 

“Chase? Baby?” Any humor he had when Steve left is gone when he sees her. Is she still crying? 

“I’m alright. My eyes burn and my head hurts and I’m tired,” she says softly. 

“You’re emotionally exhausted, baby. I’m sorry -”

“Don’t, Bucky. It’s over. Steve’s right. We have to move past this or at least try to.”

“I know, doll, it doesn’t change the fact that I owe you an apology. I am sorry, baby,” he persists. She looks into his eyes and sighs. He can hear how wiped out she is. 

“Don’t. Please. I know you have shit you’re dealing with, Buck. I could have -  _ should have _ \- been more understanding. I’m sorry, Bucky. I really am.” she says, new tears falling from her eyes. He sits next to her and pulls her into his arms. She puts her arms around him and cries, she’s so upset she can’t seem to stop. This breaks his heart. 

“It’s over, like you said. Please, let it go, baby. No more tears. I’ll tell you what started all of this, we can move on after that. Maybe eat dinner and I can tell you the horrible things Steve said about you?”

She lifts her head, a confused look on her face. 

“What did he say?”

“After dinner. After I tell you what started this shit show.”

She narrows her eyes at him, then rubs them tiredly.

“You’re fucking with me.”

“Nope. He said things.”

“Steve. Rogers. Captain I’m Too Pure To Be Part Of This World?”

Bucky can’t help but laugh. 

“Yeah. That guy.”

“Hmmm.”

“Dinner?” he asks as he runs his fingers through her hair. It’s still slightly damp, but the curls and waves have already started taking form, ringlets and spirals showing at random. 

“I’m not hungry, but I’ll heat up -”

“You need to eat, Chase. Even if it’s just a little bit,” he says stopping her mid-sentence. She sighs, clearly she’s not wanting to eat.

“I’ll have a little,” she says, giving in. He caresses her face. She’s so soft, her cheeks are still damp from her tears, though. 

“Come on, baby,” he says getting up. He extends his hand to her and she takes it allowing him to pull her off the bed and back into his arms where she belongs. He lifts her chin and kisses her softly. 

They head out to the kitchen together. Chase gets the lasagna out of the fridge. She’s still rubbing at her eyes. He’s still sore, his muscles ache, and his eyes burn like hell, too. They’re quite a pair, he thinks. 

She cuts a chunk of lasagna out for him and a much smaller piece for herself and she heats them up. Bucky grabs a Gatorade for them both from the fridge and then sits down gingerly at the tiny island. 

She pulls the lasagna out for them and she takes a seat at the island. They eat in relative silence with the exception of him coaxing her to drink the Gatorade and eat more of her tiny piece of lasagna instead of pushing it around the plate like a finicky child. She finishes eating, not willingly from his point of view and he takes their plates.

“Bucky, stop. I’ll do it,” she says taking the plates from him. She cleans them and puts them in the dish drain. 

“At some point I’m going to do the dishes and make you dinner,” he tells her, giving her a warm smile. She smiles, but only a little. 

“How are you feeling?” she asks turning the attention back to him. 

“Sore. I’m worried about you, baby. Are you okay?” he asks reaching for her. He takes her hand and lures her closer to himself. Her eyes are still red from crying and she looks so goddamn tired. 

“I’m alright. I’m just...tired. I don’t want to cry anymore, Bucky. My eyes hurt.”

“I know, baby. So do mine. No more crying unless it’s from laughing,” he promises. “Come on. I have stuff to tell you.”

He leads her to the living room where she stops. 

“What’s wrong, Chase?” he asks worriedly. 

“Your clothes can’t stay on the couch, honey. They’re getting messed up.”

“I can take them back to my place -”

“You want to put them in the bedroom? There’s plenty of empty drawer space in that fugly chest of drawers in there. Just til you’re ready to jump ship,” she adds hastily. Bucky can’t help but smile. She’s putting herself out there again for him. He knows she’s exhausted, but he sees there’s still that strong level of coherence in her eyes. She’s not just talking from a dazed state. She means what she’s saying. 

“I’d like that. I’d like to get you a new bedroom set that doesn’t look like an 80s bachelor’s wet dream, too.”

This is the first time she’s laughed since their fight, and he’s overly pleased about this. 

“An 80s bachelor’s wet dream,” she repeats and giggles. 

“Am I wrong?”

“No, but that description couldn’t be any more spot on,” she says. She smiles warmly. His heart swells in his chest. Steve’s right, he’s fucking crazy for this dame.

“Sure you have enough room for all this stuff?” he asks looking at the basket full of clothes and the piles of folded laundry on the sectional. 

“We can hang up your jeans and some of those thousands of Henley’s you’ve got,” she says playfully. 

“I like them.”

“I can tell. I bet they look good on you, too.”

“I’ll let you be the judge of that, baby,” he says with a smile.

“Come on. I’ll get the basket, you grab what you can. I still owe you a massage.”

“Don’t worry about it, Chase -”

“Why?” She seems offended. 

“Just...let it go for now. We’ll see what happens after, okay?” He’s starting to feel that panic settle in now. He’s hoping Steve was right about voicing his insecurities to her. He’s got to get past it, and he has to be able to trust her. 

She considers this, then nods her head and heads back to the bedroom with the basket. He follows her back. She’s pulling things out of the basket and putting them in piles on the bed. 

“The dresser is empty. Pick where you want what, honey. I’ll hang up the jeans and the Henley’s,” she stops and looks at him. “Are you okay with this?”

“If it means you want me to stick around and this is your way of asking, then yes,” he says and grins. She smiles and shakes her head. She goes to the closet with an armful of his jeans.

“Can you talk and put your clothes away?” she calls from the walk-in closet. He thinks about this for a moment. He’s still gripped by that fear she’ll abandon him. Not that he didn’t nearly lose her already…

“Bucky?” she asks as she steps out of the closet.

“I can try,” he says honestly. He looks into her brown eyes and sees the concern there. She cares. He holds onto that. 

“Remember when you were thinking about your home universe and that shitbag that hurt you and then that thought led, somehow, to me?”

“Six degrees of paranoia,” she says.

“Right. Mine is...more about being stupidly insecure -”

“What’s stupid about that? Look at what you’ve been through.”

“Be that as it may…” He’s trying to find the words and he can’t seem to. He sees her sit on the bed, looking at him gently. 

“Go on, sweetheart,” she says encouraging him to continue. He puts the last of his boxers in the drawer and closes it. 

“I was...I was thinking what if you were from this world, would you still be attracted to me? Is it just because you know about my story...I can’t...fuck,” he growls at himself trying to find the words. 

“Munchausen by proxy?” she asks. “You think that’s what this is?” Her tone is still soft, her voice gentle. She’s not being accusatory, not being judgmental and he’s not sure if that’s better or worse than having her fly off the handle and be angry with him. 

“I guess. I don’t know. I mean…”

“Steve said to deal with the here and now,” Chase says softly. “I can’t tell you the what ifs, Bucky, because I don't know. Does it matter in the end, though? If I’m here now?”

Her question resonates in him. She  _ is _ here now. With him. And he’s putting his clothes away in her bedroom in her apartment. He’s going to be sleeping with her tonight in her bed. 

“No, baby,” he says, trying to fight fresh tears at the realization he’s with this beautiful dame who may very well love him. “No. You’re here with me and that’s all that matters.”

She smiles, gets up from the bed and wraps her arms around his waist. She kisses his neck and he hugs her tightly. She’s real. She’s here. And she’s right. What difference does it make?

 


	88. Steve Said What?

Chase kisses Bucky’s neck and then moves to his lips. 

“No judgement?” he asks, still sounding worried about what he just told her.

“No judgement, handsome. Want me to rub you down now? Since we’ve got your clothes put away?” she asks as she runs her fingers over his chest. 

“No, baby. I just want to curl up with you,” he says toying with her hair. She loves when he does this, running his fingers through the loose curls, letting them spring back and then doing it again. He’s super gentle about it, not pulling her hair in the slightest. 

“Tell you what,” she says, still hell bent on rubbing him down, “we’ll brush our teeth, you can tell me what the hell Steve said about me and then I’ll rub you down before we go to bed. Deal?”

“When?”

“When what?” she asks, confused by his question.

“When can I dote on you like you do me, baby?”

“I’m sure you’ll get your chance,” she says smiling at him. He seems so determined to reciprocate.

“You’re too good to me, baby,” he whispers, resting his head on hers. 

“Only because you let me,” she answers. She kisses his nose and smiles. He gives her that side grin she loves so much. “Wanna go brush your teeth?”

“Left my toothbrush at my place.”

“There’s an extra under the sink you can use.”

She sees him thinking about something, his brow is furrowed. 

“You’re letting me keep my clothes here. I don’t have much else at my place...can...would it be okay…”

“If you want to bring what’s left over, you can. All that tech you have torn apart in your place we’ll have to gather up and keep contained, though,” she says watching him to see how he’ll respond to that.

“Yeah! No, that’s fine, baby! I can get rid of most of it, if not all of it if you want -”   


“Stop,” she says cutting him off. “I didn’t tell you to get rid of it, honey. Just contain it. That’s your thing, tech. I’m not taking that from you.”

He lights up and smiles, clearly happy to hear she wants him to have his tech toys.

“I’m getting you - us - a better bedroom set, baby. I cannot stand this shit.”

“It is atrocious. Go brush your teeth. Tell me what you have planned when I get done and what the fuck Steve said about me,” she says shooing him towards the bathroom. He grins and limps towards the bathroom. He’s moving only slightly better. She’s going to have to really coerce him to let her rub him down with the tiger balm again. 

She sits on the bed and looks at the 80s bachelor’s wet dream furnishings and laughs. 

“Care to share the joke?” he asks from the doorway. Chase jumps, not expecting him to just appear the way he did. She reminds herself he’s a trained assassin and that shit just doesn’t go away on its own.

“80s wet dream,” she says and laughs a little more. He grins.

“You’re turn. Don’t be long,” he says limping to the bed. He sits next to her and kisses her cheek. She runs her fingers along his jaw and then under his chin before she gets up and heads to the bathroom. 

She comes back to the bedroom a few minutes later to see Bucky undressed except for his boxers, leaned back against the pillows waiting for her. Her desire for him is ignited again. He smiles, seemingly aware that she’s in heat. 

“You going to get undressed?” he asks pulling the covers on the bed back for her. 

“Mostly,” she answers taking off the yoga pants. She’s still in her t-shirt and boyshorts. 

“What the hell are those?” he asks as she crawls into bed. 

“What?”

“These,” he says pulling on the waistband of her drawers. 

“Boyshorts. For girls.”

“Just wear mine. These are…”

“You don’t like them?”

“I don’t know what the fuck they’re supposed to be,” he admits. 

“Underwear?” she offers.

“Smartass.”

“Would you prefer them if they were thongs?”

He puckers his lips and inhales deeply. 

“You’re baiting me.”

“Nope. Genuine question.”

“Do you have any?” he asks.

“Any what?”

“I swear to god,” he says trying not to laugh at her antics. She laughs.

“Any thongs? Yes. No, wait. Not here I don’t,” she says remembering those are housed in the other universe. He grunts. 

“I can’t...these things. What the hell do you see in these?” he asks pulling on the waistband again.

“Honestly? They’re stupidly comfortable.”

“Okay, there’s that I guess,” he grumbles. 

“Feel free to pick stuff you’d rather see me in,” she says and then laughs when he beams at the idea.

“Really?”

“Sure. But if you come back here with edible underwear or crotchless thongs or some other Frederick’s of Hollywood shit, don’t be mad if I don’t wear it.”

“Well shit.”

“Are you going to wear crotchless undies?” she asks, trying to keep a straight face. He looks at her, completely appalled by the idea, and she cracks up laughing. 

“The boys need a home, doll.”

“I see. But it’s okay for me to run around with nothing between my vag and whatever I happen to be wearing?”

“Is it a dress?”

“I am so done with you right now,” she laughs. He starts laughing, too. 

“No crotchless edible thongs. Fine,” he says trying to sound hurt by this. 

“Stop it. What did Steve say?”

“Oh yeah…”

“James Barnes.”

“What the hell is your last name so I can torture you with your full name?” he demands sullenly. 

“Tell me what he said and maybe I’ll tell you after.”

“What kind of blackmail is this?”

“It’s not blackmail!” She starts laughing again because he’s made it very clear he’s fucking with her. 

“I see. Fine. Steve thinks you have nice tits.”

Chase’s jaw drops at this. Steve? Rogers? What the fuck?

“Steve? Your best friend? The guy who exudes innocence to a near nauseating level?” she asks, trying to wrap her head around this.

“That guy, yeah. You have a nice hefty rack and a body to die for. He called you a fox.”

“He’s dating Nat? Ohmyfuckinggod I’m going to get murdered,” she groans. “Nat’s gonna slit my throat.”

“Nah. He’s harmless. He just likes to look, she can’t stop him from doing that no matter how hard she tries. You have to remember, Steve didn’t used to get the dames like he does now. It’s fun to watch him. He’s got no goddamn subtlety.”

Chase can’t stop laughing now. The imagery of Steve staring down some random chick walking past him and showing  no tact whatsoever is just too fucking funny.

“Oh god, it hurts,” she whines, clutching her ribs as she gasps for air. 

“He’s right, though,” Bucky says as he rubs her back.

“About what?”

“You’re a stone cold fox, baby.”

 


	89. Peter Makes An Innocent Mistake

Pepper and Tony are laying in bed, Pepper reading a book and Tony watching nonsense on the TV. Tony’s phone rings, it’s Peter.

“Kid.”

“Hey, Mr. Stark, sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you’d heard from Chase? I sent her my updated paper, but I haven’t heard anything and that was hours ago.”

“When did you see her last?” Tony asks, only half paying attention because Pepper is giving him that special smile.

“I don’t know like 330ish when she and Mr. Barnes were talking about history with me…”

Tony snaps to attention.

“Barnes?” He snaps. He sees Pepper flinch out of the corner of his eye.

“Y-yeah?” The kid stammers.

“What was he doing there?” Tony asks trying to regain his composure.

“He kind of limped in, he’s hurt and Chase and I helped him sit down and she hugged him…”

“Tony. Calm down,” Pepper says gently holding his arm.

“She hugged him? Like feel better hug or what, Peter?” Tony asks through clenched teeth.

“Kinda like they’re a couple. They’re cute. He’s very mushy with her.”

“I’m going to kill them both.”

“Mr. Stark??”

“Don’t worry about it, kid. I’ll get in touch with her tomorrow. When is this paper due?”

“Next Monday. I didn’t mean to get her in trouble, Mr. Stark,” Peter says sounding upset and worried.

“It’s fine, kid. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Tony assures him. He hears the kid sigh in relief.

“Okay, bye, Mr. Stark!”

“Go to bed, kid.”

The call disconnects. Pepper is looking every kind of concerned right now.

“Tony, don’t do something brash…”

“She's fucking Barnes.”

“You don’t know that, they may just be friends,” Pepper states matter-of-factly.

“He was making lovey faces at her.”

“So? Maybe he likes her, Tony,” Pepper says in hopes Tony will let this go.

“The kid says they acted like a couple and were being mushy,” Tony says trying very hard to keep from rage calling Chase and chewing her a new ass.

“Oh no, Tony...don’t mess with them,” Pepper pleads. Tony looks at her with wide eyes full of shock and disappointment.

“Are you serious? Do you know how dangerous he is?”

“Only to people who threaten Steve. And now I’m willing to bet it’ll be to anyone who threatens Chase. He’ll protect her like he does Steve, Tony. With his life. He’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe if he really is as mushy as Peter says,” Pepper explains.

Tony mulls this over for a few moments. Pepper has a very valid point. If the fucking nutjob is head over heels for Chase he’ll do anything to keep her safe. Like a rabid wolf on fucking steroids.

“What if he’s just using her?”

“Come on,” Pepper says and then laughs. “Really? The golden era boy use a girl? Especially knowing that Steve is also keeping an eye on them both? He’s not stupid,Tony.”

“He’s fucking her, isnt’ he?”

“How do you know that?”

“She’s clearly in heat and he’s a guy. Why the hell would he pass up a free lay from a pretty girl like Chase?”

“Oh my god,” she groans in exasperation.

“I’m serious, Pepper. I’m talking from a man’s standpoint -“

“What other standpoint do you know?” She asks, teasing him a bit. He purses his lips. Pepper doesn’t seem to understand.

“Pepper…”

“Tony, talk to her before you jump down her throat or try to annihilate Bucky. If they really are a couple and she’s happy, do you want to be the one to ruin that for her?”

“No,” he says sullenly. “But, goddammit, Barnes? Really?”

“You knew at some point they would cross paths. I mean realistically they were bound to meet. She knows who he is, you heard how she spoke about him, Tony.”

“Her taste in men is fucking atrocious.”

“Would you prefer Steve? Or Sam? How about Scott Lang? I think Loki would be more her speed, though,” Pepper taunts. Tony is thoroughly unamused.

“Do I need to remind you what he did?”

“No, Tony,” she says kissing his cheek. “Please don’t attack her over this. Promise me.”

“Goddamn him,” Tony growls.

“Tony! Promise me you won’t go ballistic on her,” Pepper demands. Tony sighs.

“I’m supposed to have lunch with her tomorrow. I’ll talk to her - _nicely_ \- about it then. I promise to remain as civil as she does.”

“I’m going to have a bloodbath to come back to,” Pepper sighs.


	90. Playtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT.

Bucky watches Chase continue to laugh at the imagery he gave her of Steve staring at the dames he passes with no couth about him whatsoever. He’s overly amused at how funny she finds this. 

“Oh god,” she says wiping her eyes. “Oh god, that’s too much. I’ll never look at him the same again,” she pants. 

“He’s certainly been looking at you, doll,” Bucky laughs. He still has that mild tinge of jealousy about Steve eyeballing her, but Steve also believes that Chase is totally nuts for him and that Steve doesn’t stand a chance. 

“Eh. He can look. It’s weird, but he can look. I’m not interested,” she says with a shrug. She stretches and yawns. He can see how tired she is. That argument they had and all the crying she did took its toll on his beautiful girl. He runs the back of his hand gently across her cheek. She gives him that smile that makes his heart beat a little faster. Now if he could get her out of those goddamn underwear…

“Let me rub you down with the tiger balm, Bucky.” She’s pleading with him. It wasn’t even a question at this point. She wants to make him feel better. He wants her to understand he feels better just being in her company. 

“Baby, stop. I’m alright. Let it go for tonight. If I’m that bad when we wake up and you still insist on rubbing that shit on me, we’ll talk about it then.”

“That shit,” she repeats and puckers her lips. 

“Pretty sure you’re not supposed to get it near delicate areas like this,” he says cupping her left breast and running his thumb over her nipple. He gets the reaction he’s after when she moans softly. 

“Or sensitive areas like this?” she asks running her hand across his boxer clad cock. He groans, and presses her hand against his now hard cock, adding extra pressure to the stroking motion she's doing. He sees her smiling coyly. 

“I was thinking about areas like this,” he murmurs, taking his hand off of hers and running two fingers over her clothed heat. She’s already got those stupid boyshorts damp and his touch sends that much more wetness into that area. He can’t fight his need for her. He sits up completely, grabs her hips and repositions her so she’s laying sideways on the bed. She doesn’t seem surprised by his sudden actions, just very  pleased. 

He pulls the shorts down over her hips and she lifts herself up enough that he can get them down and over her legs. He sends them flying. She’s pulling her shirt off, exposing her breasts. He leans down onto her, squeezing and kissing at her soft flesh. She maneuvers herself so he’s now between her legs, and she’s grinding up against him, looking for friction against her clit, rubbing herself against his cock. 

He sits up from her and slides his hands down her sides, over her hips, across her thighs to the V of her body. He gives her a mischievous smile, making her look at him with a mixture of desire and impatience. He leans down and kisses her stomach and then working his way down over her pelvis to her clit. He licks her slowly and she moans loudly, lifting her pelvis off the bed, begging him for more. He licks her again and slides his fingers inside her. She’s soaked, she's like a goddamn ocean. His balls throb, reminding him that he’s in desperate need of his own release. He ignores them for the moment, going back to licking Chase, running his fingers in and out of her slowly, making her whine and cry out for him to do something more than tease her. He decides to switch it up and slides his fingers from his left hand inside her. 

“ _ Bucky! _ ” she cries out and then moans and bucks as he continues to work on her. She’s squeezing her breasts, eyes shut tightly as he goes back to licking and then sucking on her clit while he fingers her. 

“Don’t stop,” she moans suddenly. “Don’t...oh god…”

He grins, her legs are shaking, he can feel her clamping down on him, she cries out as she comes. 

“You alright, baby?” he asks, proud of the reaction he was able to get from her. 

“No.”

“No?” he asks, caught off guard by this answer. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not done yet,” she growls. 

He doesn’t get a chance to blink before she’s got him on his back, nearly ripping his boxers from him and straddling him. She slides herself up and down his cock, soaking him and he’s the one moaning now. He grabs her hips, forcing her down harder on him, looking for more pressure on his cock and his balls. She stops and smiles. He’s at near desperation levels right now. She shifts a bit and gives him that much needed entrance into her hot body.  He keeps his hands on her hips while she rides and bounces on him, grinding, pushing, her head back, hands on her breasts, moaning his name repeatedly. He’s going to come, his abs tighten and clench, he growls, squeezing her hips to keep her in place till he’s done. This is the third time he’s come with such force it’s left him with a head rush. 

He opens his eyes and sees she’s looking at him with a pleased smile. 

“You’re still not done… are you?” he asks, hoping she says no because he’s wanting to know what the hell she’ll do now.

She smiles and shakes her head no. He’s still inside her, hands on her hips still. He watches her run her hands down her breasts over her stomach, across her hips and then….

He inhales deeply. She’s going to get herself off and he’s going to watch as she fingers herself while slowly rocking back and forth on him. The head of his cock is still ultra sensitive and the feel of her getting close to climaxing along with watching her pleasure herself is bringing him to another orgasm. 

She rocks back one final time, yelling his name, he thrusts deep into her, groaning as he comes with her, his hands clamped on her hips, holding her down on top of him. She leans forward slowly, her body trembling. She’s spent. He lets go of her hips so she can dismount and lay on her side next to him. 

He rolls over on his side and gathers her into his arms.

“You are amazing, baby,” he whispers, resting his head against hers. She’s still breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath. He gently rubs her back and she smiles warmly, leaning into kiss him. 

“You think so?”

“Can’t say I’ve ever seen a display like that before, baby,” he muses. She sighs tiredly. He’s feeling the effects of the day, too. He sees she’s drifting to sleep in his arms as he rubs her back slowly. 

Steve was right, make up sex is fucking great. 


	91. Nat's A Bit Jealous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Smut. Less Intense.

“Care to tell me what the hell that was all about?” Nat asks as Steve walks into their bedroom. He’s stripping rapidly and she can see he’s hot and bothered and ready to pounce. Just the way she likes him.

“Buck and Chase got into a fight. It’s fixed. Get naked.”

“Is that an order, Captain?” she asks with a sly grin.

“Natasha,” he growls, stripping from his briefs, “get naked.”

She laughs and pulls the covers down to show him she’s already stark naked. He leaps onto the bed, pinning her down, kissing her neck and shoulders.

She gasps as he spreads her legs and dives into her. He’s not usually this forward with her and she’s enjoying this immensely. He’s all over her, groping, thrusting, kissing, nipping...it’s all she can do to keep from bucking him off of her, her body at the height of ecstasy with him. He’s growling her name between rough kisses, thrusting faster and deeper into her. She drives her nails into his back, screaming his name as she hits her peak, then slowly relaxes. He’s slowed his thrusts, but he’s still going, his breathing ragged. She knows he’s close. She kisses his neck just below the ear, his sweet spot, and he moans, thrusting hard one last time before tensing between her thighs and then relaxing on top of her.

“That was new,” she purrs in his ear. “I liked it.”

“Glad to hear it,” he mumbles from her neck where he’s buried his face.

“Seeing the girl get you hot and bothered?” she taunts. He lifts his head.

“No. The idea of makeup sex and someone other than me getting laid got me hot and bothered. Why?”

“Just checking to make sure you’re not thinking about straying.”

“Jesus, Natasha,” he groans, rolling off of her. “You know I love you. Why do you do this every time there’s another dame in our vicinity?”

“I’ve got to keep track of my investment,” she says, running her fingers through his hair. “I don’t want to lose the best thing that’s ever happened to me to some tramp with big tits and an even bigger ass.”

“Nat,” Steve says, grinning that All American All Star grin, “I’ve got no interest in her. She’s got no interest in me. She only sees Buck. And as far as she’s concerned, I’m an overbearing big brother. Just like Stark.”

“Sure there’s no interest in her? I know how much you like tits, Steve,” Nat teases.

“None,” he whispers, kissing her breasts.

 


	92. Morning Admiration

Chase wakes up curled up in Bucky’s arms. He’s still sound asleep, holding her tight. He loves physical contact, seeks it out with her. She reminds herself that he’s been missing that contact, that soft touch. He only wants to be loved. Just like everyone does. Well, most everyone. There’s always an exception to the rule.

She runs her finger lightly over his chin, the scruff now more of a beard. He hasn’t shaved in several days. She wonders what he’d look like with a full beard, or clean cut. She traces his jaw line with her fingertip, marveling again at how soft the hair of his beard is. He inhales deeply and then sighs, nestling himself deeper into the pillows and tightening his embrace. He relaxes his grip slowly, but doesn’t let go. She doesn’t mind. Quite the contrary, she loves it. She loves being in his arms, being near him, the feel of his skin, the gentle way he plays with her hair, how soft his touch is. She loves how his eyes have that spark to them when he’s happy, and the way he grins when he’s having a good time. 

She strokes his chin again and he sighs. He stretches his body out, a soft groan as he does. He still hasn’t opened his eyes.

“How long have you been awake, baby?” he asks, his eyes opening slowly. 

“Long enough to admire you for a bit,” she says as she runs her fingers along his jaw again. He smiles.

“What were you admiring, beautiful?” he asks. He runs his fingers through her hair, then toys with a lock of it.

“You. Your smile, your laugh, your eyes, your touch…” she trails off when Bucky looks at her with his eyes full of emotion. 

“Why are you so good to me, Chase? What good have I done to deserve your love? You deserve so much better,” he says, his words choked by emotion.

“Bucky,” she says softly, “It’s my choice who I shower with affection and who I don’t. I chose you, because I know you’re a good man. I can see it in your eyes, I feel it in your touch. What happened...it’s in the past. You couldn’t help it, Bucky. I know what they did to you. I know they broke you. But you’re here now. We’re here now. Both of us, together. Right?”

He pulls her into a bearhug and buries his face into her neck. 

“I know you’re right, baby. I...I just don’t see what you do,” he admits. She can hear the hurt in his voice and it breaks her heart. 

“You don’t have to, honey. Just trust me and trust that I see the good man you are.”

He lifts his head from her shoulder, tears in his blue eyes, but he’s smiling. 

“Thank you,” he whispers, leaning his head against hers. “For everything, baby.”

She can tell he wants to say more, but he’s stopped himself. She knows what she wants to tell him, but those three words come with a hefty price. 

“It’s alright, handsome. You look like you got a little more sleep. Those dark circles under your eyes are starting to fade,” she says changing the subject. 

“I did. Maybe because I’ve been so goddamn tired, maybe because I’ve been with you. Maybe both.”

“How are you feeling otherwise?”

“Much, much better. Still tender, but goddamn it’s so much better than it was,” he tells her as he caresses her temple, brushing a few stray strands of her hair from her brow. She closes her eyes each time he does, his touch is soothing and gentle. 

“None of  _ that shit _ needed, huh?” she teases. He grins. 

“Nah. We’re good. You especially. Fucking goddess in bed.”

“Pun intended?”

He laughs and then kisses her.

“No,” he says when he lets her go. “What’s the plan for today?” he asks going back to playing with her hair.

“I have a lunch date with Tony.”

She sees him bristle when she says  _ date _ . 

“Stop. He’s got Pepper, I’ve got you. He and I are like siblings,” she says, hoping to ease his mind a little. He’s still showing his insecurities with the other guys. Steve not so much, Tony it’s a little more noticeable. 

“Yeah,” he agrees begrudgingly, “he’s got Pepper. No interest in the billionaire playboy?”

“Jesus, Buck, no. I’d kill him first. I don’t know how Pepper has survived this long without stepping into one of those goddamn suits and stomping a six foot deep mud hole in Tony’s ass. She should be nominated for sainthood.”

Bucky grins and then starts to laugh.

“This is true,” he laughs. “Baby…while you’re gone, can I get the rest of my stuff and bring it over?”

“If you want to. Are you up to it, honey?” she asks.

“I’m good, baby. But that’s because of you. I’d still be in the goddamn medical wing or…”

“Don’t. Don’t go there,” she says grabbing his chin, forcing him to look her in the eyes. “Don’t even think it, James Barnes.”

“I won’t, Chase,” he says and then after a moment he adds, “Barnes.”

“I see. So, since I won’t tell you my last name you’ve given me yours?”

“Maybe. Eventually,” he says softly. 

“Catalano.”

“What?”

“Catalano is my last name,” she says and then smiles. 

“It’s beautiful. Chase Catalano,” he says sounding out her name and smiling brilliantly. “What’s your middle name? You know, since you have my full name,” he says trying to bargain with her.

“Lucia. I got that from my great-grandmother.”

“Chase Lucia Catalano,” he purrs, the smile on his face making him shine.  “It’s a beautiful name for such a beautiful girl.”

“You’re biased,” she laughs.

“Not in the least.”

“Mhhmm.”

“Chase Lucia Catalano,” he says again. 

“James Buchanan Barnes,” she says with a smile. 

“When you get back from lunch I want to take you out for a while. I want you to get out of the tower. I don’t give a shit what Tony says about an entourage and whether or not he knows, Chase,” he says before she can object. “You need to get some fresh air.”

“I’ve been dying to go to Central Park. I’ve never been,” she says thoughtfully. He looks at her in surprise.

“Never? Really?”

“Honey, I lived in a little podunk town in Pennsylvania. I’ve only ever visited New York and only during the Christmas season. You can’t get near Central Park.”

“Visited, huh? Let’s start with Central Park today, if we can. Where else have you been? I want to show you my New York, baby,” he says. He’s super excited by this. 

“You’re cute,” she says with a smile, “Empire State Building, the bottom of the Statue Of Liberty. I’ve been in FAO Schwarz, seen the Macy’s window display. I’ve seen the tree and the skating rink…”

“Ever been on the rink, baby? Ever gone ice skating?” He’s all lit up now at the prospect of getting to take her around New York and showing her all the things. 

“Can’t say I have, handsome, on either count.”

“Where else?”

“Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes Christmas show, but that’s about it, honey,” she says with a shrug. “Oh and the goddamn creepy fucking subway.”

He laughs at the description she gave of the subway. That’s one place she won’t go to again willingly. Not without a gallon of mace and cattle prod at least.

“The subway isn’t as bad as you make it out to be, doll. I promise. Besides, you’ll be with me,” he says and grins.

“You’re hellbent on this, aren’t you?” she asks, running her fingers through his mane.

“Yeah.”

“Alrighty then. Guess we should get up and get showered. I’ll make you breakfast -”

“I’ll make breakfast. Go get showered. I’ll have it ready by the time you’re done,” he says kissing her.

“That’s a nice offer, but aren’t you the one fussing about taking a shower with me?” she teases. Bucky’s eyes get really big. 

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she says and then laughs a little. “Want to join me?”

“Fuck yes!”


	93. Pepper Wants The Lunch Chaperoned

“Tony, promise me you aren’t going to go ballistic on her today,” Pepper pleads for the fifth time. Tony sighs heavily. 

“We’re going out for lunch. There won’t be a screaming match until we get back.”

“Tony.” She’s not amused with his shenanigans right now. 

“Pepper, I promise I will do all I can to remain civil with her,” he says holding his hand over his heart. She eyes him menacingly and shakes her head.

“I’m going to call Steve and have him chaperone you two.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Why?”

“I told you I’d be civil, didn’t I?”

“Tony,” she says and then sighs. “If I get back and she’s gone or not speaking to anyone - especially you - I’ll know you didn’t keep your promise. I still think Steve or someone should chaperone this.”

“Why? I’m an adult. So is she.”

“You’re both adult children who throw food at each other.”

“Okay, yeah, but we’re still adults,” he counters. 

“What about Bruce?”

“Pepper,” he says putting his hands on her hips and kissing her nose, “I promise you, we’ll be fine.”

Pepper reluctantly agrees to let Tony and Chase have lunch alone. She says a silent prayer before she goes that they don’t try and slaughter each other. 

Tony calls Chase around 11:30, taking several deep breaths as the phone rings. 

“Hey, Starky.”

“Hey, kiddo. Are we still on for lunch today?”

“Yeah. When are we going?”

“Meet me in the lobby in about fifteen minutes. We’re going out for lunch. Wear something presentable, kiddo,” he says and then hangs up. So far, so good. He’s kept his calm. Pepper would be proud.


	94. Chase Goes To Lunch, And Bucky Makes Plans

“Tony?” Bucky asks as Chase sits next to him on the sectional with her cup of coffee she’s been nursing for over an hour. 

“Yeah. He sounds...off. Wonder what’s going on with him,” she muses. “He told me to dress decent, which means those goddamn dress clothes Pepper made me get,” she grumbles.

Bucky smiles. Dress clothes? He’s not seen her in anything more than jeans, t-shirts, her bra and panties and her birthday suit. Thus far, the birthday suit is his favorite, and probably will remain so, but he’s curious as to what else she has in her wardrobe.

“Is he taking you out somewhere?”

“Yeah,” she says getting up. “I need to get changed and I guess straighten my hair…” 

He gives her a not so pleased look about the hair straightening in hopes she’ll leave her hair alone. The spirals and waves that form naturally frame her beautiful face and he loves playing with them. 

“I’ll just pull it up or something,” she says with a smile. “You’ll need the code to get back in once we leave, handsome. It’s 0310.”

“If I don’t remember my own goddamn birthday I should be shot,” he jokes. She smiles, happy to see he recognized the numbers. She takes her coffee cup back to the bedroom and he follows, curious to see what she’s going to wear, but more so just to see her undress, because goddamn she’s beautiful. 

“Come to watch the strip show?” she teases as he sits back on the bed.

“Oh so there’s a show?”

“Not enough time for a good one,” she laughs, pulling her shirt over her head, revealing the black and pink lace bra. He tilts his head and smiles as she strips from her jeans next. 

“You’re so goddamn gorgeous, doll,” he says looking her over with adoration. 

“Biased.”

“Negative.”

She laughs and steps inside the closet. She comes out a few moments later with a pair of dark gray dress slacks and a lavender top. She gets dressed quickly, gives him a smile and disappears into the bathroom. He stretches out on the bed, and glares at the hideous furniture. 

She steps back into the room, this time her hair is pulled back into a loose ponytail, a few curls loose, framing her face. She’s beautiful. 

“You’re beautiful, Chase,” he says sitting up. “Fucking beautiful.”

He sees the color rise up on her cheeks and he grins. 

“I have to go, handsome.”

He slides off the bed quickly and pulls her into his arms. She takes his face in her hands, presses her lips to his and sends her tongue in search of his. He grabs her ass and pulls that part of her body closer to his groin so she can feel the effect she’s having on him. She moans and breaks their kiss, backing away.

“Later,” she says and kisses him quickly on the lips before heading out. He groans and does a quick lift and shift to ease some of the discomfort he’s feeling. He hears the door shut and he’s hit with that sudden feeling of being alone. She hasn’t been away from him in...what? Three days? Two? What fucking day is it?

He looks at his phone and confirms it’s been 72 hours since he came back with her to her apartment. She’ll be back soon and when she comes back his stuff will be here and he’s going to take her to Central Park and on the way home he’s going to take her to this little antique store he knows of. Then they can do whatever she wants. Anything she wants. Anything to see his pretty girl smile and be happy. 

The loneliness has abated as he stays focused on what they’ll do when she gets home. He’s all smiles as he heads to his place to get his stuff. On the way he calls Steve.

“If you tell me you two are fighting -”

“Calm your nerves, punk. She’s having lunch with Tony. I was going to ask if you want to help me get my shit from my apartment and bring it to hers.”

“You’re moving in?” Steve asks, astounded at this.

“I am. I don’t have much to grab…”

“I’ll meet you there, Buck. You better go through all that shit before you start dragging it to her place,” Steve says and then hangs up. Buck looks at the phone quizzically. Steve seems a little pissy today. He wonders if he and Nat are fighting now. 


	95. Lunch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter. Just FYI.

Chase meets Tony in the lobby. He’s in his usual getup, including the shades.

“Ready?” he asks. He sounds agitated.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asks as they head outside.

“Nothing a good sit down chat won’t fix,” he says. She sees Happy waiting at the car, door open for them both. 

“Care to elaborate?” she asks as they get in. Tony considers this for a moment.

“Not yet,” he answers tersely after a moment. 

“Jesus Christ, Tony,” she grumbles. “Who pissed in your Cheerios?”

She sees Tony chew on the inside of his cheek, not saying anything just staring straight ahead and suddenly she knows. She knows what has his balls in such a fucking twist. It’s her. And Bucky. He knows. 

“Tony…” she doesn’t know where to begin or what to say.

“Why.”

“It just happened. I didn’t do it to spite you, contrary to the look on your face.”

“No? Are you sure? Jesus Fuck, Chase. He killed my parents. He killed countless others -”

“I know what he did, Tony. So does he. So does everyone. We also know that he was brainwashed to be a mindless killing machine who only understood the orders he was given before they fucking scrambled his brains again. He remembers them all, Tony. Even your parents.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that he did it, Chase,” Tony snaps. “And now you’re fucking him and I’m just supposed to be okay with this??”

“When did I say I was fucking him?” Chase demands. She sees Happy glance worriedly in the rear view.

“You didn’t have to. The glow on you can be seen from fucking Jupiter.”

“Maybe I fucked Steve,” she snaps.

“You’d be dead. Let’s be honest.”

“That’s so very sad and so very true,” she mutters. “Fucking crazy goddamn Russian.”

“I want to know why you’re doing this to me.”

“Doing what, Tony? Are we seriously going out in public to have a goddamn screaming match about Bucky?”

“You know how I feel about him,” he says turning to face her for the first time. 

“But you don’t give a shit about how I feel, right? Just so long as I do as you say -”

“I asked one fucking thing of you, Chase. Stay away from him. That was it. One. Thing.”

“Again, you don’t care how I feel,” she says fighting back the tears and shaking her head. “Happy, stop the car. I need to get out.”

“We aren’t done here. Happy, keep going.”

Happy looks in the rear view and then shakes his head.

“Why are you doing this, Tony?” she asks quietly. “I gave you the history of what happened with him during the war. You know he didn’t fucking volunteer to be Hydra’s pet killing machine. You know he had no control over what happened with your parents. And now you’re going to punish both of us for something that none of us could have prevented.”

“Who’s punishing who, Chase? I gave you everything I could think of, took you in like you were family - you are fucking family - and this is -”

“Stop!” she yells angrily. “Just stop. I love him, Tony, don’t make me choose.”

Tony leans back in the seat like he’s been gut punched. 

“Goddammit.”

They sit in silence the rest of the way, Chase crying and Tony feeling torn between wanting to see her happy and wanting to kick her ass for disobeying him about Barnes. 

Happy pulls up to their destination and looks in the rear view. Chase is wiping her eyes and Tony is sitting with his arms crossed like a sullen child. 

“Mr. Stark?” Happy asks, looking in the rear view at his boss. 

“Let’s have lunch like civil adults, Chase.”

She laughs. “Yeah, because clearly you and I are neither adults or civil.”

“Please. We’re here. Come have lunch -”

She gets out of the car before he can finish.  Happy exits the car quickly to let Tony out before he gets out, too. 

“Chase,” Tony calls going after her. She stops on the sidewalk and glares at him. 

“We’re going to have lunch and we’re going to be civil.”

“No. I am calling a cab and I’m going back to the tower. Anything you’ve purchased you can keep. I’ll take what the fuck I came here with and leave.”

Tony reels at this. Chase is already trying to hail a cab. Happy shakes his head and steps in.

“Mr. Stark, Miss Chase, if you don’t mind my intrusion, you two need to talk and you each need to listen. No judgement,” he says looking at Tony, “and no temper tantrums,” he finishes looking at Chase. “You can both be civilized adults.”

Chase and Tony look at each other. 

“He’s right, Chase.”

“I know.”

“I have a table reserved. We can be civil. Can’t we?”

“I owe you that much, Tony,” she says. He takes her arm and they go inside the restaurant. 

The maitre de seats them at a table that is away from everyone else and to Chase it seems like the entire goddamn wait staff is at Tony’s beck and call. 

“Get whatever you want, kiddo,” he says, his tone much calmer now. Chase is dabbing her eyes with the cloth napkin, trying to keep what’s left of her composure. 

“Is everything alright, Mr. Stark?” the head waiter asks. Tony nods and orders he and Chase drinks to get rid of the waiter.

“I’m sorry I came down on you like I did, Chase, but you know why. You’re family to me. Pepper was right. You’re my little sister, the one I should have had. It’s my job to protect you. Or...try to.”

“I love you, Tony,” she says softly. “I love you for everything you’ve done for me. But you can’t ask me to choose between you two. Please don’t.”

“Chase…”

The head waiter comes back with their drinks, lingering at the table long enough to perturb both Chase and Tony. 

“Are you ready to order?” he asks as he slowly refills their water glasses. He’s clearly interested in what they’re talking about. 

“What do you want to eat, kiddo?”

“I don’t even know what half of this says, Starky,” she admits and then bites her lip.

“She’ll have the filet mignon.”

“How would she like it prepared?”

“She would like it medium rare,” Chase answers snidely. Tony looks down and tries not to smile. 

“Very well,  _ miss _ . And for you, Mr. Stark?”

“Same.”

The head waiter lingers a bit longer, Tony shoots him a look and he bustles away. 

“Nosey fuck,” Chase mutters. Tony chokes a little on the Brandy he was drinking.

“Tell me what you see in him, Chase,” Tony says calmly.

“Let me pose a hypothetical to you first. Will you listen?”

“Alright.”

“Let’s say that you and Peter are out on some shit run. Hydra’s involved. You lose track of him for whatever reason and Hydra gets him and takes him.”

Tony takes a sip of his drink, but says nothing.

“You go after them, but they get away. You and Rhodey and Steve and everyone search tirelessly for Peter. But you can’t find him. Months pass. Then one day Rhodey goes out on an assignment, but he doesn’t come home. You get the call from the Secretary of Defense - he’s been murdered. You get the surveillance footage and you see who killed him.”

Tony doesn’t move, doesn’t speak, just sits quietly listening to her.

“It was Peter, but not the kid we know. He’s different. Changed. His eyes are empty in the video, like he’s mindless, but it’s him. And he’s the one that killed Rhodey in cold blood. Rhodey didn’t stand a chance, because the kid has those powers. You have this information and it gets out to the others, and they want the kid neutralized. You don’t. Steve doesn’t. And you know why Steve is on your side for this, Tony. He helps you try and track the kid down, but Hydra’s gotten more advanced over the years. Much more advanced. While you and Steve are working on finding him you get a panicked call from Pepper. Peter is hunting her. He’s already taken out Happy…”

Tony is gripping his drink so hard it looks like the glass may break. 

“You go after him to save Pepper. You get Pepper to a safe place and catch Peter. He’s stalking you now, the blank look in his eyes, his only focus is killing you. It’s a fight. You don’t want to hurt him, but he’s giving you everything he’s got and the suit isn’t going to last much longer at this rate. You say something to him...one last set of words, something only the Peter you knew would resonate with. He’s about to deal you that death blow when you say those words, and you see the clarity come back to the kid’s eyes, then the fear and confusion, Tony. He drops you, backs away from you’re nearly broken body and runs. He runs because he’s scared and confused. He runs because he knows he’s hurt the person he adores second only to his aunt. You and Steve track down the kid, he’s alone, hiding and fucking terrified, Tony. He knows he killed Rhodey. He had no control. Hydra did something to him to make him their slave. Now the others want him dead. But you know he’s in there and you can reach him and you can help him. You don’t give up. So you find him and you convince him that you’re going to help him, everyone else be damned. You clear out whatever Hydra put in him, but you can’t take away the pain, the horror, the guilt, the shame of what he’s done, Tony. He has to deal with that for the rest of his life. He has to look at you every fucking day and know that he killed your best friend, almost killed your wife and was one blow away from killing you. Every. Day. What do you do, Tony? Do you walk away? Or do you stick by him because you know - _ you know  _ \- that the kid is a good person, that Hydra fucked him up, that he’s just as much of a victim as Rhodey was.”

Tony has tears in his eyes. He downs the rest of his drink quickly. 

“He’s just a kid. Barnes was older -”

“Was he? Maybe by a few years, Tony. He enlisted to serve his country with every intention of putting his life on the line for what he believed in - God and Country. He never asked for what happened. Just like Peter in our hypothetical. Hydra abused, tortured and brainwashed them in both scenarios. Who’s to blame here, Tony? Bucky? Peter? Peter, thank god, hasn’t gone through this, and I hope he never does. Bucky and Steve have had to and still have to, every day. I’m not asking you to be his best friend, Tony. I’m just asking that you try to see him from another perspective. You don’t have to like him, all I ask is you try to forgive him. Please, Tony. I love him. I don’t want to be made to choose. Please, please,” she begs. 

Tony sits in silence and she sees a teardrop fall. He purses his lips and and looks at his now empty drink glass. The nosey waiter has yet to come back.

“I don’t have to like him, Chase. I probably never will, but...I see you’re point. I understand. I will forgive him, in time. I need that from you. I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to be forced into luncheons with him. If you feel that strongly about him...I won’t fight you on this.”

Chase gets up and hugs Tony as tightly as she can. Tony puts his arms around her and hugs her back. 

“Thank you,” she cries as she sits back down. Tony hands her the cloth napkin for her to dry her eyes. 

“If he hurts you, Chase, so help me god there won’t be a fucking thing in heaven or hell that will stop me from killing him.”

 


	96. Steve’s Libido Needs A Cold Shower

Steve meets Bucky at the door to his place Bucky is all smiles. Steve can’t remember the last time he saw Bucky this happy. He grins, Buck’s in love, and Steve couldn’t be happier for his friend. Buck deserves to be happy finally. After everything he’s gone through, it’s long over due for him. And Chase seems like the perfect girl. 

He feels that tinge of jealousy that makes his balls ache a little. Buck’s seen her naked. He knows he’s slept with her, touched her, held her, kissed her….

How the fuck did he go from wanting her and Bucky to be together to wanting to know what it’d by like to fuck her from behind?

“You okay?” Bucky asks.

“Yeah. You’re glowing. Still.”

“Steve.” Bucky is no longer smiling and he doesn’t seem amused. Shit.

“Buck.”

“I thought you weren’t jealous.”

“I’m not, Buck. I’m not. I’m tired,” he says. It’s half a lie, but a lie none-the-less. 

Bucky nods his head and the grin returns. 

“I’ve got to go through this shit. I don’t want to drag it all over there,” he says as they step inside his apartment. 

“I gotta admit, Buck, you two are moving pretty fucking quick.”

“Goddammit, Steve, if there’s something on your mind just fucking say it.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea? You  _ just _ met her. You’ve spent three days with her and now you’re moving in?”

“Aren’t you the one who wanted this to happen?”

“I didn’t think you to would be moving this fast. I don’t want either of you to get hurt.” This is the truth. He loves Buck like a brother and would die for him. Chase is a hot number with a warped sense of humor that he’d pick up in a heartbeat if Bucky got bored with her. 

This last thought shocks him. He needs to pull his head out of his ass.

“I didn’t expect it either. I don’t think this was what she planned. It just happened. She’s happy, seemingly, when we’re together and I’m not pissing her off. I know I’m happy, Steve. I haven’t felt like this in I dont’ know how long. Hell, I joked with her this morning about my last name. I didn’t know her last name so I called her Chase Barnes and she made the offhand comment about me not knowing her last name so I was giving her mine. I told her eventually…”

Steve has to sit down now. Bucky just said he’s going to marry Chase. 

“Steve?”

“Do you realize what you told her?” He asks genty, because he’s convinced Bucky doesn’t know what he did.

“Told her I was going to marry her,” he says like it’s nothing. Steve’s head hurts.

“Buck...slow down. For god’s sake, slow down. Get to know her. Spend time with her. You want to move in, she wants you to move in, fine. You still have this place to fall back on. I don’t want you to jump into this head first and then regret it later on. And I don’t want you to scare her off by talking crazy -“

“What’s crazy about it?” Bucky demands. “You don’t get it. I love her. I’ve never felt this way about a dame. Ever. I know I want to be with her forever. I look at her and I see a future with her.”

Steve puts his hands behind his head and sighs. Doesn’t look like Buck’s going to get tired of Chase anytime soon. He pushes that thought away hurriedly, concerned his libido is getting the best of him. 

“Do you know how she feels, Buck?”

Silence. Bucky’s fidgeting with a dismantled cell phone, that hard look on his face when he’s dealing with something he doesn’t necessarily want to. 

“I know she cares about me. She’s made that obvious. Jesus Christ, she did my fucking laundry while I was passed out.”

“I get it, Buck, but still, slow it down a bit. Get to know her. What’s her favorite color? What’s her favorite food? What’s her favorite position?”

Bucky smirks, but doesn’t look up. Steve can’t help but wonder what her favorite position is. Is she a top or bottom? Does she swallow? His balls are throbbing. He’s going to attack Nat when he sees her again and try to coerce her into sucking his dick. 

“Steve.”

He looks over at Buck who’s not thrilled Steve tuned him out. 

“Sorry, what?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Bucky laughs.

“I don’t know. I’m tired.”

“Pull your head out of her ass, for fuck’s sake.”

“Whose ass?” He asks quickly hoping that Bucky wasn’t aware of his dick’s interest in Chase’s pussy.

“Nat’s? Oh shit...did you find someone else?” Bucky asks, suddenly thinking this is Steve’s issue. Steve almost tells him yes, but then Buck’s going to want to know who and if Steve says it’s Chase, but he only wants to fuck her to get it out of his system the whole fucking universe is going to implode and he’s not about that life. 

“No,” he laughs. “She’d kill us both if I did find someone.”

“No shit. Gonna answer my question?”

“Since I didn’t hear it I can’t answer it.”

“What do you think of Chase?”

Jesus Christ if there was ever a more loaded question, Steve doesn’t want to know about it. 


	97. Chase Comes Home

Tony and Chase sit in the car waiting to get home. Traffic sucks as per the usual . They haven’t said much to each other since Tony threatened to kill Bucky if Bucky hurt Chase. Lunch was relatively quiet, except for Chase asking the waiter if he was writing a book on her conversation with Tony and Tony guffawing.

“You sure about him, kiddo?” He asks gently. Chase knows he’s trying to protect her, trying to shield her from what he thinks may be a threat. 

“For now I am. Trust me a little, Starky.”

“Just promise me if he hurts you - in any way - that you’ll come to me. Not Steve. Not anyone else.”

“If it’s that bad, Tony, you’re the only one I would turn to.”

“You should have been my kid sister. Mom would have adored you.”

She leans her head on Tony’s shoulder, unable to speak because she’s so touched by his statement. 

Happy finally gets them around the traffic jam and back to the tower. They step into the elevator together. 

“Pepper said he’d protect you like he does Steve.”

“Maybe. Only way to find out is to let me out of the tower with only him as an escort.”

She sees Tony tense up at this thought. 

“Yeah. I guess so. You promised me -“

“If he hurts me, you’re my go to, Tony. I promise you,” she says crossing her heart. “But I’d rather not consider that as an option. I feel safe with him, Starky.”

“I’m going to trust you on this, kiddo. I will kill him if he hurts you,” He says matter-of-factly as the elevator doors open to the floor where her apartment is. 

Chase hugs him tightly. Tony puts his arms around her and pats her back.

“It’s going to be fine,” she tells him as she lets go. She can see he’s still concerned, but they got over the biggest hurdle with each other and that just made life a lot easier. 

She heads down the hall to her place, anxious to get out of the dress clothes and back into normal clothes. That and she’s dying to strip in front of Bucky again. Leg shaking, body rocking orgasms are new to her and he’s the catalyst to them. 

She moans quietly as she steps into the apartment, thinking of all the areas on his body she wants to kiss. 

“Hey, beautiful.”

Bucky is standing next to Steve, both smiling stupidly. She laughs because they’re so much alike and Bucky is so goddamn kissable and lovable. 

“Hey, yourself, handsome,” she says walking over to him. He pulls her into his arms and holds her tightly. She presses her body against his, and kisses him. She lets him go and he caresses her face, the warm, loving look in his eyes melts her heart. 

“I got my stuff over. Punk here helped,” he says pushing on Steve’s shoulder. Steve grins, but Chase can see there’s something off. He’s not his usual goofy self. 

“You okay, Cap?”

“Yeah. Tired. Just...tired.”

“You gave him a brash of shit about not sleeping, are you going to take your own advice?” She asks poking him in the ribs. He grunts. Chase is slightly offended by his sullen demeanor. 

“Steve,” she says putting her hand on his arm, “are you sure you’re okay?” She’s worried maybe he’s not feeling well. Does he get sick? Can he get sick? Oh shit...can Bucky get sick? 

Steve gives her a forced smile and nods his head. Even Bucky is looking at him like he’s acting odd. 

“Go take a nap, Steve,” he says. “You’re starting to scare us both.”

“You good?” He asks, referring to Bucky. Bucky looks at Chase and gives her that glorious grin. 

“He’s good,” Chase says with laugh. Steve nods. She’s not buying it. “Steve, seriously, are you okay?”

“I’m good, dollface,” he says and then gives her a more genuine smile. He uncrosses his arms and pulls her into the bearhug. He and Bucky don’t fucking realize how strong they are, he's crushing her ribs and smashing her tits. 

“I can’t breathe,” she growls. 

“Sorry,” he says hastily letting her go. “I’ll see you two later. Buck,  you going running tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Go take a nap or get laid or something. Jesus Christ,” Bucky jokes, pushing Steve out the door. Chase laughs and rubs her chest. Bucky catches her and cocks an eyebrow.

“Did he squeeze you too hard, baby?” He asks. He looks worried. 

“Meh, you two don’t know your own strength,” she says continuing to massage her breasts. He smiles, moves her hands and takes over. He makes a face and she’s guessing because he’s got layers of clothes between his hands and her breasts. She pops the first button on her shirt, then the second. He finishes unbuttoning her shirt and then reaches behind her to undo her bra.

“I thought you wanted to go play outside, handsome?”

He groans and stops messing with the hooks on her bra. 

“I do. You need to go out. With me, not just Tony. I want to take you to Central Park. Let’s get you changed. I can at least watch the partial strip show,” he says and gives her that playful grin. She loves seeing him happy like this. So different from that day in the medical wing when he looked so tired and broken. 

“What has my pretty girl smiling like that?” He asks pulling her into his arms and then kissing her temple.

“You mostly.”

“All I’ve done is stand here. And maybe play with those amazing tits for a minute and give myself blue balls.”

Chase cracks up laughing. He’s chucking. She adores him so much. They head back to the bedroom so he can watch her change.

“You going to strut around in that getup for me later?” he asks, lounging across the bed watching her dig through the dresser for a shirt. 

“Maybe.”

“Maybe,” he repeats. “Why maybe?”

“What do I get out of the deal?” she asks, finally finding the shirt she’d been looking for.

“What do you want, baby?” he asks, tilting his head.

“You.”

“Baby, you got me. I’m not going anywhere until you chase me off.”

“I won’t chase you off, just around the living room.”

She watches him scramble across the bed to get to her and she just barely ducks from his reach. He growls then laughs as he goes after her again.

“Central Park,” she reminds him when he catches her and pins her to the bed. 

“Shit.”

“You’re the one that wanted to go out,” she reminds him.

“I wasn’t expecting you to give me a raging goddamn hardon by dancing around here in your lacy little panties and bra,” he complains. She looks at him and shakes her head, but she can’t stop smiling. 

“So, now this is my fault? I see. Okay, well, let me find some extra layers and I’ll make sure I’m dressed like an Eskimo when I go to bed…”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Who’s at fault?”

“Me, maybe. You, mostly.”

Chase can’t stop laughing. He’s grinning playfully, resting on his left arm to keep the bulk of his weight off of her. She’s grateful for this, her tits still ache from Steve trying to compress them into his chest. 

“You’re beautiful, baby,” he says switching gears. He runs his fingers along her jaw and then over her neck to her collarbone. She smiles, and runs her fingers through his hair.

“You’re beard’s coming in nice and thick.”

“You don’t like it?” he asks suddenly concerned. He pulls at his chin.

“I didn’t say that,” she says scratching his chin. “Just making an observation.”

“I can shave it.”

“Bucky, don’t shave it unless you want to,” she says as she pushes his hair behind his ears. He smiles and leans down to kiss her. 

“Finish getting dressed, baby. Let’s go out for a while.”

“What do you want to do about dinner?”

He grins. 

“Not what I meant. That’s dessert.”

“Want to order in?”

“Please, dear god, no,” she pleads. 

“We can go to the store on our way back. Maybe find something we can make together. You’re fridge is looking a little empty and mine has fucking cobwebs.”

She laughs at the imagery. He lets her up and she finishes getting dressed. He kisses her, scooping her breasts and massaging them gently.

“Come on, honey, before you change your mind about the park.”


	98. Steve Just Wants To Be Loved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut. Masturbation. Steve having a come to Jesus moment about Chase.

Steve heads back to his place feeling like a shit. He’s trying to figure out what the fuck happened that he’s now infatuated with Bucky’s girl. The girl his best friend says he wants to marry. The girl who only has eyes for Bucky. 

Bucky’s a lucky son of a bitch. That shirt was thin she was wearing, he could almost feel her skin through it. And the weight of her tits against his chest...if she hadn’t said anything….

“Jesus Christ,” he moans. He drops onto the edge of the bed. Nat’s not here. Where the fuck is she? He needs to get some of this pent up frustration out. He checks his phone. She’d left him a message over an hour ago. She’s gone off with Fury and Maria to do something SHIELD related. He’s guessing, at least. Her text was vague as hell, as usual. He’s required to tell her where he is, when he’ll be back, who he’s with, but she gets away with one line of text.  _ Meeting with Fury and Maria _ . That’s it. 

Bucky probably won’t have that problem with Chase. She’ll wait on him to come home, keeping their bed warm, her legs spread when he walks in the room. She’ll be wet and ready for him. He’ll have access to those tits and that ass, her mouth…

He groans and lays back across the bed. He undoes his belt, then his jeans. His hand finds its way down his briefs to his erection, the precum already gathering on his head he rubs along his shaft. He wonders if she’d lick it off before going down on him, if she’d be on her knees looking up at him with those big brown eyes, her naked body exposed to him, if it would turn her on go down on him, make her wet to the point she’s near dripping. He wants to know how deep inside her he can thrust before she cries out, what it would be like to grab her by the ass and plough into her, slowly at first then faster, while her tits bounced to the time of his thrusts. He wonders what she’d do if he flipped her over and drove his dick into that ass of hers. 

His whole body tenses as he comes, his seed running over his hand and down over his briefs as he pumps himself a little more. 

The guilt sets in almost immediately after. What the fuck is he doing fantasizing about Bucky’s girl? Bucky is his brother, he loves the guy. He’d never do anything to hurt him, so why the hell is he so fucking hot and bothered about Chase suddenly? Even if she and Bucky weren’t together, she made it very clear she doesn’t see him as anything more than an overbearing big brother type. He wouldn’t be able to get close to her…

But he could try. Goddammit he could try and seduce her, woo her till he got into her pants. She’d be fucking heaven to kiss. 

What the hell is he going to do? He needs to get off this Chase trip. He needs to figure out why he’s on it in the first place. 

He sits up, wipes his hand on his jeans and heads to the bathroom to take a cold shower. His hand isn’t doing the trick. He needs a hot, wet pussy to satiate this need. 

He steps into the cold shower, feeling his balls draw up at the shock of the freezing water hitting his skin.

He plants his hands on the shower wall as the cold water freezes his skin. What changed? What happened?

Then it dawns on him. He’s not getting what he needs emotionally or physically from Natasha. And he's pretty sure she’s been screwing around behind his back. He’s let all that fester for so long, letting it go because Bucky was lonely, too, so he had someone to suffer needlessly with. But now Bucky has this seemingly amazing broad with tits and curves and legs all to die for. A girl who he knows first hand is totally balls to the wall in love with Bucky. And instead of being happy like he’s supposed to be, he’s jealous, his mind playing out scenarios so his body goes into sexual overdrive looking for release. He’s jealous of his best friend. Jealous of Bucky and insanely desirous of Chase. 

“Oh god,” he whimpers. “Oh god, make it stop. Not her. Not her,” he pleads to the abyss. 

He steps out of the shower, wraps the towel around himself and sits in the bedroom. He picks up his phone and looks at his contacts list. Bucky and Chase are one right above the other. 

Does he call Bucky and tell his best friend that he’s dying to fuck his girlfriend and it would only be once, twice at the most because he’s not getting what he needs from his own girlfriend? Does he call Chase and confide in her his need to try and split her in half with his dick? Neither scenario is going to end well for any of them. Bucky’s insecurities will go batshit crazy and he’ll end up in the psych ward thinking Chase really does want Steve. Chase will never speak to him again most likely and will avoid being anywhere near him at all costs. And Steve will have lost two friends and his goddamn dignity. 

But god, when he hugged her and her tits were against his chest, and the feel of her under that shirt drove him crazy. He wanted to pull her closer to his aching balls, let her feel the effects she has on him, guide her hand to his crotch then tear those clothes off of her and kiss every inch of her body, letting his hands have free range over her body, squeezing her plump tits and then sucking on them. He wants to come in her, repeatedly till it’s running out of her in a steady stream and then he wants to hold her till she’s ready for him again. 

“FUCK!” He yells at no one. Things just escalated that much more. Fucking her till she can’t walk was bad enough, now we want to fucking  _ cuddle _ , too? No. This can’t be a thing. This has to stop. He’s so jealous of Bucky right now. But he blames himself. He went after Sharon who quickly lost interest in Steve’s need for physical and emotional contact and now there’s Natasha who is almost as cold physically as she is emotionally. He thought he could handle it, that he’d wear her down until she was emotionally available to him. It never happened. She enjoyed the sex, his thick cock was the only thing she really seemed to be after and she’d taught him so many things in the bedroom...living room...kitchen...but it was all sex related. When Steve wanted to hold her, snuggle with her, just touch her without it turning into a fuck fest, she gave him the cold shoulder. 

He can’t blame her, though. Natasha’s been through almost as much as Bucky. If anyone here is at fault it’s him for thinking he could get Natasha to come around to being touchy-feely like he is. Bucky knew what it was like to touch a dame and hold her close, and he missed that severely. Steve never had that option until recently and not knowing what it’s like and dying to have it...is it better or worse than Bucky’s situation. And now Bucky has Chase and from the way Bucky was glowing and the glow still lingering on Chase, he’s fucked her more than a couple of times in the past few days. He’s held her, too, and she enjoys it. He could tell that when she walked up to him and put her arms around him to kiss him. She’s all about affection with him. She practically jumped into his arms when they were fighting. She has no problem displaying her affections for him. Why couldn’t Steve find a dame like that? Instead of daydreaming about Chase? 

Another thought occurs to him...would Bucky share her? If he were to approach it delicately, would he deny his best friend the chance to share in his joy? And if, by some totally fucked up miracle of the universe, Bucky agreed to this, would Chase? Would she be willing to let them both hold her, love her, fuck her? 

He looks at his phone. His head hurts. His balls throb. And now his heart aches, reminding him just how fucking lonely he really is. 


	99. Pepper Comes Home And Tony Is Crabby

Pepper walks into the grand sitting area of the penthouse. Tony is leaned back in the overstuffed leather couch with his feet up on the marble coffee table. His eyes are closed by she can’t tell if he’s sleeping or not. He doesn’t look pleased, regardless. 

“Tony?”

He opens his eyes and smiles when he sees her.

“Hey.”

“Where is Chase?”

“I’m guessing at her place. With the fucking nutjob.”

“Tony…”

“Barnes. She’s with Barnes.”

“Did you two have lunch?”

“Yup.”

“If she’s with him and you’re pouting is it safe to say you two talked an no one died?”

“Yes. She cried, I cried. I made her promise me that if that shithead hurts her she comes to me first. I told her if he hurts her I’m going to kill him.”

“ _ Tony! _ ” 

He looks at her evenly, and she can tell this isn’t one of his snide jokes or offhandedly comments. 

“She agreed,” he says flatly. 

Pepper sits down next to him and rubs his leg. He leans his head over and rests it on her shoulder.

“I know you care about her, Tony. I know you want to protect her. Don’t hold this grudge and push her away.”

“I’m not,” he says and sighs. “She gave me a really fucked up hypothetical to put shit into perspective and I’m not sure I’m over the imagery yet. She pleaded with me to trust her and to try and forgive him. She also said I don’t have to be the fucker’s friend, so there’s that, at least.”

“They are together?”

“Yes. And he’s fucking her.”

“Jesus,Tony,  how do you know this? Did she volunteer this information?”

“Pepper, she was glowing.”

“She could be pregnant.”

Tony’s eyes get super wide and the color drains from his face. 

“Okay, no, let’s just go with she and Barnes are intimate,” Pepper says quickly. 

“Intimate,” he growls and goes back to pouting. 

“Want to go get intimate with me?” She asks, poking his inner thigh. He sits up and looks at her.

“Let’s go,” he says getting up and pulling her up from the couch. He chases her back to their bedroom. 

 


	100. Bucky and Chase Get Some Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long chapter

Bucky and Chase are strolling through Central Park, hand in hand. He’s watching her look around, eyes wide as she takes in everything around her. She’s so beautiful, her hair still pulled back in that loose ponytail, the curls and waves that are free blowing with the gentle breeze. 

“There’s another place I want to take you,” he says as they find a bench to park on for a bit. 

“Do tell,” she says running her fingers through his hair then tucking it behind his ear. Her touch is the stuff of dreams. She’s so gentle with him. 

“Antique store I know of. They have some neat stuff in there. I thought you’d like it since you’re a little bit of an old soul,” he explains. 

She narrows her eyes at him then smiles and laughs.

“I love antique stores,” she says looping her arm in his and putting her head on his shoulder. He kisses her crown, his heart pounding at the fact that she’s interested in going, that she’s here with him, and that she’s not afraid to show him affection, even in public. He catches himself almost telling her he loves her. He stops before the words escape. It’s too soon and he’s not going to run the risk of losing this girl.

“Tony knows about us,” she says suddenly. Bucky freezes. Oh for fuck’s sake.

“How.” He meant it as a question but it came out hard and gravely. She looks up at him.

“I don’t know. Peter maybe? Bruce? Doesn’t matter. He knows. He’s not happy -“

“Fuck…” he growls. He’s tensed up suddenly, fearing this is going to be their first and only outing together, that she’s only being like this to get the most out of their time before Tony brings the fucking hammer down on her and forces them apart. He’s going to lose the best thing that has ever happened to him because something from his past has come back to haunt him, yet again. 

“Bucky,” she says softly. He feels her fingers under his chin as she turns his face to look at her. His face must have given away everything because she puts her arms around him, forcing him to put his arm over her shoulders.

“He’s not separating us, honey. He’s not accepting of it, but he’s not going to fight me - or you - on this,” she says and then lets him go and looks up at him again. She’s searching him for some kind of indication that he’s okay now. 

“There’s a catch, though,” he says after a moment. 

“If you hurt me….he threatened to kill you, Bucky…”

“Not gonna happen, doll.”

He sees her lips pucker. She’s thinking about the death match between he and Stark. Not what he was referring to.

“I’m not going to do anything to intentionally hurt you, Chase. I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure I do everything I can to see that you stay happy and healthy and you have everything your heart desires,  baby.”

“I’m happy being with you, Bucky,” she says looping her arm back in his and putting her head back on his shoulder. “I don’t need a bunch of shit from you to make me happy. Just come home safe to me when you go. That’s all I want.”

He can hear the unrestrained emotion in her voice when she says this. How the hell did he win this girl over? He’s continually amazed out how much she cares for him. 

“Not my intention to do any less, baby,” he says taking his arm from her and putting it around her waist and pulling her over. He feels her sigh heavily against him. She doesn’t like thinking about this shit. Neither does he, to be honest. He wants to be able to come home to her warm embrace, and maybe one day it won’t be just her. Maybe one day it will be her and a couple of little ones welcoming him home. 

“Something you care to share, handsome? Something has you smiling.”

“Thinking about the fact that I get to come home to the most beautiful girl in the world. I’ve got someone who’s going to miss me while I’m gone. Someone who…”

“Who what, honey?” She asks. He knows she knows the answer, but she’s going to make him say it. 

“Someone who loves me.”

“Is this that same stupid broad you keep describing to me with the pretty pink lips?”

Bucky laughs heartily. She’s a fucking pistol. 

“There’s no one that can compete with you, Chase. I promise you,” he says still laughing. “Come on. Let’s go to that little store. There’s something I want to show you.”

“Is it an antique dildo, because ew and no.”

He looks at her completely unsure what to do with her now.

“No.”

“Okay, because we passed a toy shop on the way here.”

“Wait, what?”

“Come on. Let’s go to this antique store,” she says getting up, smiling wickedly.

“What did you say? Toy store?” He asks trying to catch up with her as she takes off at a jog down the path. “Get back here!” He laughs as he chases her. He can hear her laughing and he knows she’s not going to be able to keep going because she’s laughing too goddamn much. 

He catches up to her easily. She’s still laughing and he’s got to hold her up, because she’s in tears. 

“Oh your face, honey,” she gasps and then starts laughing even harder. He bites his lip and nods his head.

“You know you’re going to get it when we get home, right?”

“Oh, I know….I know,” she says looking up at him. “But it’s worth it.”

“Really? That sounds to me like you’re giving me permission to do as I please with you…”

“Maybe,” she teases. 

“Maybe. No maybes, doll. Where’s this store?”

“You promised me the antique store,” she sings to him. He runs his fingers over her ribs, she shrieks and then laughs more. People are looking at them. He doesn’t give a shit, she clearly doesn’t care either. He’s laughing, too. He can’t remember the last time he had this much fun. Yes, he can. It was the night he got his orders for the war. That night they saw Howard Stark show that damned flying car and Steve disappeared to go and try and enlist yet again.

“Come on, smartass. Let’s go to the antique store. Then, if you’re good we’ll go to the toy store.”

“If I’m good? Who’s kidding who here?” She says playfully. 

He pulls her close and kisses her neck. He feels the goosebumps on her skin, hears her moan softly. 

“If you’re good.”

“No strip show.”

“Goddammit. You and these bargaining chips of yours,” he complains. He kisses her neck again, grazing her neck with his teeth. He feels her breathe in sharply, he can feel her nipples harden through her shirt and bra. He’s willing to bet if he put his hand down her pants and between her legs, she’s wet and ready. And in thinking like this, he’s now hard and dying to bury his cock in her. 

“You’re killing me,” she whispers in his ear. And because she knows where his sweet spot is, she kisses him on that spot on his jaw. He’s seconds away from finding them a mostly secluded spot so he can get them both off. 

“I don’t think we’re going to get anywhere if this keeps up,” he growls from her neck. 

“You’re already up,” she purrs, pressing the lower half of her body tight up against him and then slinking her hand between them to rub over his crotch. Ten more seconds of this and he’s just going to fuck her on the bench. 

Someone screams in their vicinity. It’s not a playful scream, either. Any sexual tension he was feeling is quickly replaced with his need to find the threat and get his girl out of here and to safety. He puts his arm around her and scans the area. People are running towards the scream. Chase is trying to pull free to head there, too. He doesn’t let her go, forcibly holding her to him.

“Someone may be hurt,” she protests. 

“You are my priority and my only concern.”

“Bucky, we have to see if they need help!”

Bucky scans the area again. There’s no more screaming, no sounds of weapons being discharged. He nods his head that they’ll go look, but he refuses to let her go, his arm around her waist, hand on her hip, keeping her pressed against him. He needs to make sure if something happens he can shield her. 

They see a crowd has formed where the scream seems to have originated. Chase finds an opening in the crowd - of course - and he walks with her to see.

“SHE SAID YES!!”

The guy in the center is jumping up and down and the girl is bawling her eyes out, rubbing her very pregnant belly. Chase looks a little surprised, then loses interest quickly.

“Good, baby?” He asks. She shrugs.

“Yeah. Jesus Christ, you’d think she’d gotten stabbed.”

“Welcome to Central Park, doll,” he laughs as they walk away. He’s still keeping her close, that need to protect her still coursing through him, but it’s slowly winding down. She doesn’t seem to mind. She’s got her arm around his waist, her fingers toying with one of his belt loops as they walk. 

“Were you worried?” She asks after they’ve walked in silence for a few blocks. 

“About the scream? Or you?”

“I don’t know, Buck. Which put you into guardian mode?”

“You, Chase. I’m not letting anything happen to you,” he states bluntly. 

“Because of what Tony said?”

He stops and looks at her, a little upset that she would think that’s his reasoning for wanting to keep her safe.

“No, Chase, not because of Tony or any fucked up thing he said.” He wants to tell her. He wants to say those three words, but he can’t. Not yet. 

She’s studying him. She’s unbelievably perceptive with him. She tilts her head, skews an eyebrow at him and then smiles a little.

“Where’s your antique store?” she asks changing the subject. He’s eternally grateful for this, but there’s a mild disappointment that he can’t tell her.

“Just a bit further up the street, baby. You can see the awning just a little bit up ahead,” he says pointing to the chocolate and white striped awning. 

They get to the store and step inside. The place has that old sort of bookstore smell to it. There’s aisles and aisles of things. Chase lets go of him and meanders off toward the right. He smiles and follows her down one of the aisles. 

“This way, baby,” he says after a few moments. He takes her hand and leads her to the back of the store. In the far back corner is what he wanted to show her - a late 1930’s cherry wood bedroom set in near mint condition. He’d eyed this set on numerous occasions but couldn’t bring himself to buy it when it was just him alone in his apartment. Now that he’s with Chase and they have a mutual hatred of that god awful shit Tony tried to pass as a bedroom set, he thinks this would be perfect for them both. He was hoping she’d like it, and based on her reaction and the look of awe on her face as she runs her fingers over the pieces, he knows he’s right. 

“What do you think, baby?”

“Bucky...it’s beautiful,” she breathes. “It’s fucking gorgeous.”

“Think it will work for us?”

“Bucky...are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

He sees her cringe when she looks at the price tag. Suddenly she’s not so sure about it, her face reads sadness and disappointment.

“It’s too much. This is too much. It’s so expensive -”

“I’ve got it covered,” he tells her as he walks up behind her and puts his arms around her. 

“It’s almost ten grand, Bucky,” she protests. He can hear how disappointed she is. 

“I have it covered, baby. If you like it, I’ll tell them to deliver it as soon as possible.”

“No, Bucky. I can’t. Don’t….this is too much...I wouldn’t spend this much on my own goddamn wedding…”

“Well that’s bullshit.”

“Since I don’t plan on getting married I’ll be saving myself a lot of money,” she says gliding her fingers over the headboard. This hits him in the heart. Open wounds showing on her now, he tells himself. There’s plenty of time to convince her he won’t hurt her like the others. 

“Do you like it?” he asks, changing the subject and nuzzling her ear. She leans into him and he kisses her head.

“I can’t -”   


“Didn’t ask you if you could, baby, I asked you if you liked it.”

“I do, but -”

“I like it, too. I’ve been eyeing this set for a long time. I’m glad they haven’t sold it. And I did tell you I wanted to buy us something more tasteful for our bedroom.”

“Bucky,” she groans. “It’s so expensive...this is….”

“Let’s just say I’m sitting on more than enough to cover this, a new living room set, new sheets, bedspread, pillows, probably a new house and all the toys my beautiful girl could ever ask for,” he teases. She laughs at his words. 

“We don’t need toys. You get off on watching me get off on you, remember?”

“This is so goddamn true and so fucking hot,” he moans pulling her back against him so she can feel how hard he is now. “And now we can do it on something that won’t collapse in another week from being bounced on daily, nightly, whatever.”

“Your epic cock aside, are you sure about this? I don’t expect you to buy shit like this - I don’t expect you to buy anything, Bucky.”

“Only thing I’m more sure of is how I feel about you, baby.” 

She turns herself around in his arms and embraces him, putting her head on his shoulder. He rubs her back slowly and smiles. He knew she’d like this. She’s resisting because of the price, but that’s a non-issue for him. 

“Is that a yes?” he asks gently. She looks up at him, brown eyes twinkling, and smiles regally. 

“Yes.”

“So you’ll marry me?”

“Jesus Christ Bananas, Buck, what the fuck are we doing?” she demands looking completely bewildered now.

“I’m just messing with you,” he laughs, pulling her closer. “For now.”   


“You are such a fucking jerk,” she grumbles.

“Aww, don’t be like that, doll. If you like the set, I’ll get it and we’ll have it by tomorrow. Hopefully.”

She looks up at him, still unamused at his married joke. At least acting like she is, he can see the corners of her mouth are turned up just a bit and her eyes don’t convey any hurt.

“You’re an asshole,” she tells him and then breaks and laughs a little. 

“Yup. Are we getting this?”

“And you’re sure about this?”

“Absolutely, Chase. If you want it, only thing we need to do is go to Crate and Barrel and get new sheets and things for the set. Okay?” he asks as he caresses her face. She leans into his touch, her eyes closed, and she smiles. 

“Better than okay, handsome. I don’t know how I’ll be able to thank you, Bucky.”

He grins, he can think of a few ways.

“Based on that slick grin I’m guessing you have a few thoughts on that,” she laughs. “Whatever you want, within reason.”

His eyes light up. Hot damn. He knew he loved this girl. 

“I’ll hold you to that,” he tells her.

“Just don’t choke me with it.”

He blinks a few times, caught off guard again by her comments and then he laughs. He sees her give him that devilish grin. 

“Come on, wise ass, let’s get this paid for, get the new stuff, and then we’ll go to the store and get stuff for home so we don’t starve.” 

She presses her lips to his, slipping her tongue into his mouth and then grabbing his ass and squeezing making him jump. She lets him go and smirks. 

“You’re mine when we get home,” he tells her.

“And I’m so very looking forward to it.”


	101. Those Three Little Words

Chase and Bucky get back to their apartment laden with grocery bags, Crate and Barrel bags and a splurge at Godiva Chocolates. Bucky insisted on taking her in there and let her run around like a kid in a….well…

She picked up some chocolate liquor for them and some edibles. She’s deliriously happy when she’s with him. It frightens her sometimes. She worries that maybe this is too good to be true. Then she remembers he feels the same way, has expressed this to her. If they’re both having the same dream she hopes they never have to wake up. She’s madly in love with this man. 

He came close to telling her he loved her while they were out, but he stopped himself. She’s not sure what she would have done if he’d said those three words, how she would have responded to him. Those three words can make or break a person. Others have said they loved her, and that only ended in heartbreak. She’s so fucking smitten with Bucky, though. So taken and enamored with him. But it’s only been three goddamn days. Three days but it feels like they’ve been together for three years, but in the best way possible.

She watches him put the groceries away in the most meticulous fashion. He’s opened all the cabinets so he can figure out where she keeps stuff and then putting the new groceries where he thinks she wants them. The t-shirt he’s wearing is tight enough that as he stretches, bends and flexes she can see his muscles moving. He turns her on something fierce. She’d fuck him every hour of the day if she thought she’d be able to walk in between so she could take care of him. 

He turns around and catches her watching him. He grins and flexes more for her. She laughs because he’s such a screwball. 

“Admiring the view, baby?”

“Abso-fuckin-lutely,” she says. She walks into the kitchen area with him. He’s put nearly everything away with the exception of some of the dry goods. He leans back against the counter, that playful grin on his face. 

“You know you’re handsome, right?” She asks  running her hands over his chest. The feel of his muscles through the shirt sets that fire off in her, that need for him to be inside her. 

“Yeah? Is that why you’re flushed, pretty girl?” he teases. He runs his hands over her breasts and down her hips and she moans softly. She returns the favor by slowly running her hand over his crotch before unzipping his jeans and undoing the button. She leans against him so her lips are a hairsbreadth from his ear. She can feel him breathing heavier now, his hands grabbing her ass. She kisses his neck, his hands move to her hips. She does it again and his hands are on her breasts. She pulls his jeans down over his hips and strokes him through his boxers. He’s nuzzling her ear, kissing her jaw, a low growl coming from him every time she runs her hands over him. 

“You have to catch me,” she whispers and kisses that spot on his jaw before breaking free from him and slipping away. 

“Chase,” he groans, hiking his jeans up and trying to go after her. She can see he’s in dire need of that release.

“Ready to bury yourself?”

“You promised I could do as I please,” he reminds her, watching her walk backwards toward their bedroom. She takes off her shirt and tosses it at him. Bucky catches it and flings it away.

“Teasing me is only going to prolong this,” he promises. She grins. 

“Is that a promise, big boy?”

“Oh, you’re gonna get it, doll,” he says lunging for her. Chase wasn’t quick enough to get away and now he’s got her thrown over his shoulder, carrying her into the bedroom while she laughs. He drops her onto the bed and sheds his own shirt. If he knew how wet she was he’d shred her clothes to get to her.

“Get naked, beautiful,” he orders. She looks at him and smiles. 

“Hmm.”   


“Chase,” he purrs, stepping towards her. He leans down over her, forcing her onto her back. She mews as he kisses her neck. 

“Get undressed,” he whispers in her ear, his voice is low, that baritone coming out and making her ache more for him. He stands back up, grinning because he can tell by the look on her face that he’s got her. And she knows this, too, and she has no intention of fighting him, she’s so desperate to have his thick cock inside her.

She stands up and slowly gets undressed for him till she’s only in her bra and panties. He’s smiling, pleased at what he sees. He motions for her to lay on the bed and she does, stretching herself out and then spreading her legs and beckoning him to her. He strips and as soon as he’s out of his boxers, she’s on her knees  on the bed ready to pounce on him.

“Not yet, baby,” he purrs. She groans and eyes him menacingly. He smiles. 

“Bucky…” she whines. She wants him so bad she can nearly taste him. 

“Easy, doll. Come here,” he orders. She crawls across the bed towards him. He runs his fingers through her hair and then guides her to his cock, the head already coated in anticipation for her. She looks up at him, his blue eyes locked on her, desire burning in them. She slides to the floor, coming to a rest on her knees. She cups his balls and then licks along that thick vein that runs through his cock. He inhales sharply at the feel of her tongue when she gets to the head, licking slowly. She goes down on him slowly, listening to the soft moans as she works her way up and then down on him. 

“That’s enough, baby,” he moans. “Time for you to put on a show.” 

She pulls her mouth off of him, the suction of her lips on his cock making an audible popping sound when she lets him go. She sees his legs give a little and she smiles. He might have the upper hand, but she’s still in control. 

He runs his fingers through her hair, then caresses her cheek. 

“Get on the bed. On your knees, beautiful.”

She does as he tells her, sitting up on her knees, making sure her legs are spread as wide as she can get them. 

“Take off the bra.”

She reaches behind her back and lets the clasps go, the bra sliding down her arms. She pulls it off and grabs her tits and squeezes them, moaning for him as part of the display.

“Good girl. Now the panties.”

She shifts positions and lays on her back, slowly working the the panties down over her hips, then thighs, then calves, and then off completely. She spreads her legs for him again and she can see he’s struggling to stay in control now. 

“How wet are you, baby? Show me,” he says. She smiles. She knows how wet she is. She’s fucking dying to have him inside her right now, pounding the hell out of her pussy till she can’t move. But for the sake of his show, she slides her hands over her breasts, down over her stomach, over her thighs and between her legs. She watches his hand grab his shaft as she dips two fingers inside her wetness and moans. She pulls them out, showing him what he wants to see. 

“I’m done,” he growls. “Let’s go.” He pounces on her, his lips pressed to hers as he forces his tongue into her mouth with a need and desire. She feels his hard cock between her legs, bumping against her clit, looking for a way inside her as if it had a mind of its own. She moves herself and he pushes his cock inside her and Chase grinds her hips into him, wrapping her arms around around him, driving her nails into his back as he thrusts hard and fast into her, her body begging for more. 

“Chase,” he growls, thrusting deeply one last time, his body tensing. She feels him pulsing inside her walls, one last slow thrust before he finishes. He drops his weight on her, head resting on her shoulder. She strokes his hair while he catches his breath. 

“Ready for act two?” he asks, and then kisses her neck. She is more than ready.

“Are you?”

He pushes himself up and grins. He rolls off of her and onto his back. Chase sits up and straddles him, resting her soaked pussy on his cock before letting him slide back inside of her. She drops one hand to her clit, rubbing herself slowly as she slowly rocks on his pelvis, pushing up and back, deeper with each pass. Her other hand she keeps on his abs to steady herself. Bucky has a hold of her hips, helping her push down onto him, giving him that extra thrust into her. She rubs faster, she can feel her legs start to shake. He’s now thrusting up into her as he pulls her down onto himself, moaning each time, her pussy getting tighter as she reaches her climax in a rush, moaning loudly, throwing her head back as her body rocks with pleasure. She hears him groan once more, his hands holding her down as he comes again. 

She leans forward, resting her body on his, her hips and thighs aching. 

“Jesus Christ,” she moans happily.

“No, just me, doll.”

“You’re a fucking jerk,” she says and then laughs. He rubs her back with one hand, the other he has planted on her ass. 

“Nah. I just like fucking with you.”

“Oh? Looks like I still got the better of you.”   


“I won’t deny that, baby. But, goddamn are you something to witness.”

“Want to get cleaned up and veg in front of the TV till it’s time to make dinner?”

“Shower together?”

“Think you can hold me up while you drive that weapon of yours back into your favorite holster?” she asks, propping herself up so she can look at him. 

“Best fucking holster I’ve ever had. Fits like a glove,” he replies. He pulls her closer and kisses her. She lets him slide out of her and then she dismounts and gets up. He gets up next, picks her up by the thighs so she has to wrap her legs around him and carries her to the bathroom. They don’t even get to the shower. Bucky plants her on the edge of the countertop, and works his way back inside her, using his left hand to tease her clit as he pumps into her. Chase is near screaming at the feel of his hand and cock, waves of pleasure rippling through her as she comes. He keeps going, working towards his own release as he pushes her body towards another outburst. This time she screams his name as she comes, locking her arms and legs around him like a vice as her body trembles. She feels his breathing get ragged, his moans coming faster as he finishes. 

“Oh my god,” she pants from his shoulder. “I can’t move.”

“Seriously?” He sounds worried.

“I don’t know. I may fall over if I stand up.”

“You’re worrying me, doll.”

“If the girls in the quad state area knew what you and that cock of yours could do, you’d never get out of bed, Buck.”

“Don’t have any interest in other dames. Just you, Chase. Just you,” he says kissing her temple. He steps back, easing himself out of her and giving her room to slide off the counter to test out her land legs. Her legs are sore and achy, but she’s able to stand. At least for now. He puts his arms around her and hugs her.   
“Come on, handsome. There’s a movie I want to watch later on with you.”

“I’m all for it, baby. I love you,” he says kissing her again. 

She smiles grandly. For the first time it feels like the words are genuine. 

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”


	102. Bucky Makes Steve Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't added as much as I usually do, guys. I'm moving, shit is hectic and it's just a zoo here. I'll do my best to keep adding a little bit here and there till things get settled again. Don't give up on me!

Steve wakes up the following morning alone. Natasha still isn’t home. He’s had enough. Between his loneliness and his need to get laid by someone whose pussy isn’t made of ice, Steve’s pretty sure he’s going to go insane. 

He packs up all of his stuff that he’d moved into Natasha’s and goes back to his own apartment. He takes his phone out and and shoots Natasha a text message. If she can’t at least be honest with him, then this is all she deserves in return. He tried. He put his heart into his relationship with Nat, gave her everything he could, his time, his patience, his heart, his dick. Turns out she was only after the last item. 

His message to Nat is short and sweet. He’s moving out, it’s over. He knows. 

He carries his stuff back to his place and dumps it on the couch and then sits down next to it. Back in his own place the loneliness is intensified. His place feels empty. Chase’s place felt like a home. She and Bucky, together…

He growls at himself. This has to stop. She’s not interested in him. Even if she was, Bucky is still the deciding factor. He can’t betray his best friend. Bucky looked after him when they were younger. He was always there to help Steve when he was down. Bucky has gone through hell, he’s finally on the mend, getting his shit back together. Chase is from a parallel universe, fascinated with Bucky’s story. Steve should have made a move on her before she saw Bucky. But he didn’t. Even though she told him she only saw him as a big brother. Even though he was dating Nat. Even though he felt that all too familiar pull in his dick when he was near her, but he chose to ignore it. It wasn’t until he saw how happy she made Buck that the realization settled on him that he’d missed an opportunity. A damn good one from the perpetual glow that Bucky had. Buck’s been all smiles since that day in the hospital after he blacked out. He told Steve how well she’d taken care of him. She’d rubbed him down, done his laundry, made sure he ate and drank, and let him sleep. She even snuck into the bedroom as stealthily as she could to make sure she didn’t wake him. Steve had never gotten that kind of treatment. Not from any dame. Not Sharon. Definitely not Natasha. If he came home sore and tired and just mentally beat she’d ignore him until he whipped out his dick for her. Then, and only then, did she show him any attention. She called him her  _ investment _ . What the fuck ever that was supposed to mean. The only thing she’s invested in this farce of a relationship was her bed and her frozen cunt. 

Steve heaves a shaky sigh. Bucky’s probably curled up with Chase right now. He wonders if she’s sleeping naked next to him, if he’s holding her. He wants to hold her.  The desire to fuck her is still there, but he wants to hold her. Curl up with her, brush her hair, rub her back. He wonders if he came home to her and he was exhausted and sore and hurting if she’d take care of him. Hold him and tell him it’s okay. Rub him down like she did Bucky, make sure he’s hydrated and fed…

His head hurts. His heart hurts. It’s nearly time for him to meet up with Bucky to go for their run.    


He debates on bailing out on Bucky. Telling him he doesn’t feel up to it. Bucky will know something is up and give him a bunch of shit until Steve talks to him. Turnabout's fair play, he makes Bucky talk to him when Buck’s trying to shut himself down from the world. He sucks it up and and gets ready to go out for his run with Bucky. 

Bucky’s waiting for him at the elevator.

“You alright, kid?”

“Yeah,” Steve lies.

“Bullshit. What’s eating you?”

“Let’s just go, Buck,” Steve says tersely as they step on the elevator. He doesn’t look at his best friend, but he can feel Bucky watching him with those cold blue eyes. 

Bucky doesn’t say anything for a while, which Steve is thankful for. He concentrates on running, the trees, the bag lady screaming about the end of the world, the drunk guy at just after 6am yelling at a bench and calling it a  _ fucking whore lamp _ . 

“Enough of this shit,” Bucky snaps coming to a stop. Steve slows down, knowing full well Bucky is about to bust him to pieces if he doesn’t start talking. 

“What shit would that be?” Steve growls.

“Really? We’re really going to do this? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“What do you want me to say, Buck?”

“How about the truth, Steve.”

Steve stops breathing. No. He doesn’t know. He  _ can’t _ know. Steve hasn’t said shit to anyone…

“About what?” he hears himself ask. Bucky’s eyes get huge. 

“Alright, asshole. I’m not going to bust your balls like you do mine. When you decide you trust me enough again to tell me what’s going on you know where to find me,” Bucky says walking away. The guilt that he just dropped on Steve hurts like a bitch and Steve feels like somebody shattered his soul. 

“Stop, Buck.”

“That was quick.”

Steve sighs heavily and parks his ass on a nearby bench. Central Park is still relatively cool this morning, the day is overcast, birds are chirping - all is right with everything but him. Bucky sits next to him, leans back on the bench and folds his arms across his chest. Typical Bucky listening posture.

“Nat’s screwing around on me. I left her this morning. I packed my shit and brought it back to my place,” he says quickly. 

“Jesus Christ, kid, why didn’t you say something before? I see why you’re so fucking moody -”

“That’s not the only reason, Buck,” Steve cuts in. 

“Because that’s not enough? What the hell is going on with you, Stevie?”

Buck only calls him Stevie when he’s extremely worried about him. The last time Buck called him Stevie was when Steve was in the hospital with pneumonia. That was 1941. 

“I’m about to lose my best friend,” Steve says and clasps his hands between his knees. “I’m about to lose you because…”

“You’ve got a thing for Chase,” Bucky finishes. He doesn’t sound mad, or upset or even worried. All of which completely blows Steve’s mind because at least if Buck was pissed off at him Steve could find the will to pull himself out of this goddamn shit storm he’s found himself in. But no, Bucky is calm, cool and collected. 

“And you knew...how long?”

“Since that day at my place when you were trying to talk me out of marrying her. Asking me about her favorite position sort of sealed your doom there, kid.”

“Fuck me. This isn’t what I wanted, Buck. I never planned on falling for her. I went from just wondering what it’s like to fuck her because of the non-stop glow on you, to wondering what it would be like to just love her, like you do. Have her love me, like she does to you. I don’t...I don’t know what that’s like, man. Sam tells me I could have any broad I wanted. I end up with Natasha. I end up with Sharon. Or I end up alone.”

“So, you’re feeling sorry for yourself?” Bucky is still uncannily calm. Steve’s not sure if he should be worried or pissed off.

“No. Yes. I don’t fucking know, Buck. I don’t want to be alone anymore. I feel like there’s you and I and then there’s you and Chase. There’s no connection. I get how you felt when I’d drag you out with Nat and I…”

“Not even close, kid. I had no interest in Nat. I knew she wasn’t right for you, but you seemed happy. It didn’t seem right to spoil that. Nat can’t help who she is anymore than I can. With the exception of her fucking the guy in ops behind your back.”   


“Goddammit! You knew?!”

“Would you have believed me prior to this? You know as well as I do she would have told you it’s a bunch of shit and I was just jealous. Right?”

Steve considers this for a moment. 

“Yeah. I get it, I guess. You still should have said something.”

“Kind of like you should have said something about Chase before stewing on it so long you made yourself sick and miserable? Hey Pot, I’m Kettle, nice to fuckin’ meet ya’.” 

“I hate you when you’re right.”

“Yeah, I know. I got over that like seventy years ago.”

Steve laughs a little. Buck’s being an asshole, but he’s not being a belligerent asshole. He’s being Buck, the best friend a guy could ask for. 

“I don’t know what to do,” Steve confesses. “I guess I do, actually,” he adds a second later. 

“Do tell. This should be good.”

“Avoid her. And you I guess till I’m over her and this shit. Seeing her with you only makes it worse. Sitting next to you I can smell her on you and that’s not fucking helping either.”

“It’s her body wash. Shea butter. My skin’s soft now.”

“I fucking loathe you,” Steve says laughing now. Bucky snorts and then laughs at him. 

“Whatever, punk. You really think avoiding the issue is going to resolve it? What happened to Captain-Head-First-Into-The-Line-Of-Fire-Let-Me-Salute-Bucky-While- He’s-Sniping-So-We-Both-Get-Shot Rogers?”   


“You are about ten seconds from me kicking your ass.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Smartass.”   


“Answer the question, Steve.”

“What question, Buck.”

“Do you really think that avoiding her and I will resolve your issue with you wanting to fuck her brains out?”

The absolute callousness of his words cuts Steve like a knife. 

“It isn’t just about wanting to fuck her. Jesus, I want to….”

“Want to what, Steve?” Bucky presses.

“Just love her. Hold her like you get to do. Have her show me the same affection she does you. Get to know her. Do  you hold her when you go to sleep at night? Is she as soft as she looks? Does she curl up behind you in the middle of the night? Do you brush her hair, rub her back, kiss her?” 

Steve snaps his mouth shut after the last question, the feeling of having said to much makes his face hot and his heart ache. He’s going to end up pissing Bucky off to the point the man cuts all dealings with him. If he wasn’t lonely before, he sure as hell will be after this. 

“Let me get this straight...it’s not just about screwing her?”

“No.”

“You want to love her.”

“Yes,” he says sullenly. “I’m sorry, Buck. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t want this. It just happened…”

“You never had a dame treat you right, kid. Not once. Not when we were younger, not now. You never got the chance to feel what it’s like to be genuinely loved and you’re so goddamn daffy you’ll date the first girl that bats her eyes at you -”

“Chase never batted her eyes at me, Buck. Most she ever did was piss Tony off by telling him she could admire the view while looking at me and something about him telling her to order a steak instead of eyeballing me and her telling him she’s not in the mood for sausage.”

Bucky roars with laughter. 

“Yeah. That’s our girl. Fucking pistol.”

“She’s a goddamn Glock, Buck. Who are we kidding?”

“True statement, kid. You really feel that strongly about her?”

“Yeah.”

“Think you love her, Steve?”

“Buck...I don’t...I don’t want to fight about this. Not over a dame. She’s yours. I’ll stay away-”

“Answer the question, Steve.”

“I...I don’t know, Buck,” he says truthfully. “I don’t know her like you do. I do know that I  _ want  _  to get to know her. That I have very strong feelings for her.”

“She’ll win you over. You’ll fall flat on your face, like I did.”

“Yeah, I’m sure….wait. What?” 

 


	103. Bucky Shows Steve The Ace Up His Sleeve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has been delayed, everyone. Moving sucks. I'd rather shoot myself in the foot. I'll do what i can when i'm not rage screaming at the mountains of boxes. Be patient, hopefully it'll be worth the wait.

“What are you saying, Buck?”

Bucky looks at his lifelong friend and smiles. Steve needs someone to take care of him as much as he does. If he presents this in the right way to Chase….would she go for it? Make their duo a trio?

“There is a chance - albeit slim - that she may be willing to date us both. We’d be sharing her in essence. She’d take care of us both. She’d show you the same attention and love she shows me. But that’s if she’s willing and agreeable. It’s not something I’m going to press her about, and neither are you.”

“You...you would do that? You’d willingly share her - I mean if she wanted…”

“You and I have very fucked up lives, Steve. We’re out of our elements here. We’ve known each other for fucking forever. We’ve both radically changed. She understands this. She accepts it as it is. She doesn’t judge. Yeah, I have insecurities about this. I don’t want to lose her. She’s a goddamn miracle worker -“

“I can see that, Buck. I haven’t seen you this happy in damn near a century,” Steve jokes. Bucky nods his head and grins. 

“It’s her. And you. You two are the only ones I feel safe with, kid. And you’re the only I would trust to take care of her if something were to happen to me.”

“Don’t say shit like that.”

“It’s something that has to be taken into consideration, Steve.”

“Buck...I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but she only sees me as a brother type -“

“Didn’t you just tell me she was eyeballing you?”

Steve blinks. To Bucky it looks like he’s trying to clear the brain fog. 

“Tony said she was.”

“Think maybe there’s some truth to it?”

Bucky smirks as he watches Steve mull this over.

“If this is one of those jokes you used to pull back in the day, man…”

“Negative. I’m not joking with you, kid.”

“How would that even work? Do we all sleep together? Do we…” Steve’s eyes get huge. Bucky knows where his train of thought just derailed at.

“Threesome?” Bucky asks. The thought has been eating away at him since he proposed the idea to Steve. Not quite how he’d have liked to see it play out, but listening to Chase moan and watching her in action is better than anything the web has to offer. 

“No. I can’t. She's yours, Buck. I...goddammit I should have just kept my mouth shut,” Steve mumbles. He shakes his head. 

“You didn’t even think this was an option till I made it one.”

“Why? Why would you do this? Why would she?”

“Because, you giant ape, you deserve to be with someone who understands you, at least on some basic level. She has that insight to us both. Me mostly, but still. You’re telling me that if the opportunity presented itself and she agreed to this you’d just walk away without a second thought?”

“I’d be a fucking moron to do so,” Steve sighs. 

“You already hit that mark, kid.”

Steve looks up and glares at Bucky. 

“You’re lucky you can outrun me, asshole.”

“Eh. I’d kick your ass.”

“Do you talk shit like this to her?”

“On the contrary, she talks shit to me. She’s very entertaining,” Bucky laughs. 

“She talks shit to everyone. She dishes it to Tony without batting an eyelash. Are you sure about this, Buck? I don’t want this to cause an issue with us.”

Bucky sighs. That’s the biggest point of contention - losing his best friend or the love of his life. 

“There’s a risk, yes. I’d be fucking stupid if I said there wouldn’t be. It’s a risk I’m willing to take. You deserve to be happy, too, you shithead.”


	104. Bucky Is Nervous

Bucky walks into the apartment he and Chase now share. He’s more nervous than he can ever remember being his entire life. Truth be told, he doesn’t know Chase all that well. He knows she loves him, she’s made that blatantly obvious. He’d have to be blind, deaf, and dumb as a damn brick to not know how she feels. But that’s where it ends. Steve had brought up a good point the other day when he asked Bucky what Chase’s favorite color is, what her favorite food is. The favorite position he can guess is on top of him putting on a display. This makes him grin. He’s a lucky son of a bitch. Which circles him right back to being nervous as hell about asking Chase to add Stevie to the mix. Is she even that kind of girl? She’s from a little backwater town in Pennsylvania...what if she’s a bible thumper with a kinky streak? 

“That’s not even a thing,” he mutters to himself. His heart is thundering away in his chest. What if asking her this pisses her off to the point she tells him to get the fuck out? What if she decides she really would rather be with Steve? He’s the more stable of the two of them…

He’s sweating and now he’s shaking. He doesn’t hear Chase come up behind him.

“Bucky, what’s wrong?” 

He nearly jumps out of his skin at the sound of her voice. He turns around to her and she pulls him into a hug.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? What happened? Whose ass do I need to beat?” She asks as she holds him. Despite the anxiousness he feels her last question makes him chuckle. She’s so close to perfect and he loves her so very, very much. 

“I’ll be alright. I think,” he whispers as he puts his arms around her. He hugs her tightly, the idea chewing on him that this may be the last time he gets to ever hold her. 

“Honey, your heart is racing and your sweating.   Jesus Christ, James, do I need to get you to medical?” She’s overly concerned for him, taking his face in her hands and studying him. Whatever powers that be in the universe, please, please don’t let her walk away from him. Not now. Steve needs her, too, he reminds himself. Steve needs her and so does he. Please don’t let him fuck this up.

“No, baby, no. I just...I need you to sit down. I need to ask you something.”

“Please don’t propose marriage, Bucky. I just got Tony to sort of accept you and I are dating -“

“Tempting, but not what I’m going to ask, Chase. Please...sit,” he says nodding towards the sectional. He lets her go and she goes to the sectional, but she never takes her eyes off of him. 

“You’re scaring me. Am I going to regret uttering those three goddamn words to you?”

“No...I hope not…”

“Goddammit, James,” she grumbles. He’s pushing his luck now, pussyfooting around the question, making her nervous.

He sits down and rubs his chin.

“You know I love you, doll. You mean the world to me.”

“Is this where you tell me I’ve converted you to an alternate lifestyle and you and Steve are running off to join the Russian ballet?”

She makes his head spin with her off the wall comments. 

“No. Steve and I are not running away together to join the Russian ballet, smartass.” He realizes her goal here is to redirect his worry and try to put him at ease, and herself. It’s partially a defense mechanism, partially a coping method. It dawns on him he understands her a little more than he gives himself credit for. 

“Are you going to tell me or just piss me off?”


	105. Misconstrued Words Hurt Like Hell

Chase is worried. Bucky is so goddamn anxious and worked up over something and he’s futzing around not telling her what the fuck is going on. She doesn’t want to regret telling this man she loves him, but it never fails that saying those words fucks her over in the long run. She feels like her heart is going to rip itself apart in her chest. 

Bucky opens his mouth to say something, thinks better of it, and closes his mouth again. He tries again.

“Chase...Steve is a mess. Not as much as I am, but...you know. He’s never had a good girl in his life. He was that young sick kid back in the day and the dames wouldn’t go near him, even though he was a good kid. Now…”

“Now he’s a goddamn gorilla,” she mutters. Bucky gives her that sheepish grin. 

“I called him an ape while we were out talking.”

“I thought you were going running?” She's puzzled as to where he’s going with this. What the fuck is going on and what does Captain Screwball have to do with this?

“We were, but...Fuck it,” he grumbles. “I met Steve at the elevator this morning and he looked sick and just fucking miserable. He wouldn’t tell me what the hell was going on at first, but after we ran for a bit he decided to talk. He left Nat. She’s been cheating on him -“

“The guy from ops or Clint?”

“How the hell do you know about this?” Bucky demands, looking shocked.

“I hear things. From Tony occasionally.”

“Clint. I didn’t tell him that and I’m asking you not to,  either. Just know that he knows she’s doing it, but not with who.”

“Poor Steve,” Chase says softly. She genuinely feels bad for him. Steve is a good guy. He tries to stick to that moral compass as best he can. He’s loyal almost to a fault. He risked everything for Bucky. To hear he’s going through shit with Natasha and she’s been cheating on him upsets her. 

“Yeah. He’s not so upset about Nat I don’t think. He’s just...he’s lonely, Chase. He just wants to be loved and have someone he can be affectionate with…”

Chase’s lips pucker.

“This conversation is going to go one of two ways - either you’re going to tell me you and Steve have decide to commit to each other and get married or….”

“Yeah, no.”

“Bucky...honey, please just fucking say it.”

She sees Bucky rub his left arm and take a deep breath. 

“Would you consider dating both of us? Steve and I together? We’d be a trio instead of just you and me. No other dames, just you, but you’d be dating us both. Doing all the things you do for me now but just shared, I guess….”

Chase sits calmly on the sectional trying to decide if she’s dreaming, hallucinating or if this is actually a conversation she’s having with Bucky right now. He wants to add Steve to the relationship. A relationship that is all of what? Four days old now? What’s next? Flying monkeys? Rogue HYDRA agents? Loki? 

The last thought forces her to hide her sinister grin. Bad, bad girl. 

“Chase? Please say something,” he begs. She focuses her attentions back on Bucky and this completely nutball conversation she’s having right now. 

“If you wanted to have a threesome -“

“It’s not about having a threesome,” he cuts in. “I mean, it is, sort of, but that’s not the gist of the conversation here.”

“No?”

“Chase…” He sounds pained now. He’s clearly upset and nervous about talking to her about this. She doesn’t want that. She wants him to be able to come to her with anything with no fear of judgement. He needs that. Apparently so does Steve.

“Bucky,” she says softly. He goes back to rubbing his left arm. “What brought this on? Truthfully,” she asks him. She stays calm and keeps her tone soft so he doesn’t get any more riled up. 

“I’m not trying to upset you, doll. I don’t want you to think...I love you and I don’t want to lose you...Please don’t be mad,” he pleads. She can see the tears in his eyes. She reaches out for him, takes his arm and pulls him to the sectional with her. She leans back and to the side and pulls on him till he curls up against her with his head on her chest. He’s soaked and he’s breathing rapidly, signs of a panic attack. 

“Alright, alright, honey. It’s okay, just slow down a little, breathe with me. Nice, deep breaths, okay?” She whispers. She inhales deeply and he follows. She exhales and so does he. She does this a few times with him while she holds him, his fingers laced with hers. His breathing starts to slow down finally. 

She gives him a few more minutes to be sure he’s calmed down a little more. He squeezes her hands every now and again, which is her only indication he hasn’t fallen asleep on her. He’s terrified about what she’ll say as an answer to his can Steve join us question. She’s not entirely sure what to think of this herself. Yeah, Steve is a good guy. Yeah, he and Bucky are BFFs. Yeah, they’ve been through hell and back in one form or another. But Steve is the epitome of model good looks and dipshit sweet personality. He should be able to snag a chick just by winking at them. Jesus Christ, she could stand him in Times Square with a sign on his chest that read SINGLE and have the chicks and dudes lining up for fucking miles. Why her? 

“How are you feeling, handsome?” She asks pushing his hair off his temple. 

“Are you mad at me?”

“No.”

“I’m okay.”

She can’t help but giggle a little. He sighs heavily.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m not mad, I’m not upset. I am, however, perplexed as to the why.”

“Why what, baby? He needs someone almost as much as I do. Look what you’ve done for me. What you’re doing right now. You know what to do and how to do it and you’re damn good at what you do, too.” 

“And what about you, sweetheart? Where do you fit into this...quest?”

“Quest,” he repeats sullenly. “You’d still love me. Wouldn’t you?” He asks sitting up suddenly. She can see the fear in those blue eyes. He’s going to drive himself crazy at this rate.

“I’d never stop, Bucky. I just don’t understand why you’d be willing to share? Steve can get any goddamn chick he wants. So, can you, if I’m being honest. What the hell is the draw to me?”

“First off, beautiful, you’ve done everything you can to take care of me, love me and make me feel like I’m human. Something I’ve not been able to feel in I don’t know how long. Second, why the fuck would I want anyone else? Steve’s been fucking hot to trot for you since I guess the first time he saw you. You’ve been so wrapped up in me maybe you didn’t notice.”

“I noticed. I chose to ignore it so I didn’t get murdered in my fucking sleep.”

“You knew?” Bucky seems surprised by this.

“His inability to stop staring at my chest and the bear hug from hell the other day gave him away,” she tells him. Like Bucky told her, Steve has no ability to show tact when he’s attracted to someone.

“In his defense, you have one hell of a set of tits on you, doll,” Bucky says and then grins. 

“You’re a shit.”

“I know, baby,” he says. He looks away and sighs. “I’m not going to force you into this if it’s not what you want, Chase. This will be the one and only time this comes up.”

“It’s really that important to you?” she asks. She runs her fingers under his chin and lifts his face so he has to look at her.

“You have this unique insight into what Steve and I have been through. What we are. You have this way of just making things seem okay. At least with me. I think you could do that with him, too. He needs it, just as much as I do. We’re out of our elements here - all three of us. Steve and I because of shit beyond our control, you because of shit beyond yours. I just thought that maybe we could work this out where we’d all take care of each other.”

Chase stays silent for a few moments. He’s asking her to open her heart that much more and love Steve the way she loves him. He’s willing to share her affections with his best friend so that Steve doesn’t feel alone and neglected. Both of them have given so much and while this seems like Bucky’s asking for a fucking miracle, in truth it’s so very little. They both want to be loved and accepted and because of who they are respectively that option seems to not be available to either of them.

“Chase?”

“Let’s say I agree to this. You haven’t worn any kind of protection. At all. I’m not on anything.  We’re about to add another super soldier into the mix. The odds of winning Russian roulette have just dropped significantly for me.”

Bucky looks confused at first, but she can see the realization of what she’s just said dawning on him. 

“If you get pregnant, I will take care of it.”

This hurts her more than she thought it would.  _  It. _ Not that she wanted kids at this particular moment, but to hear him say that…

“I need to think about this,” she says softly. She’s trying to keep her composure. Even if Steve hadn’t been suggested, she’s been careless with Bucky and to hear him say this…

“You’re mad. What did I do, Chase? Is that not what you wanted me to say? That I’d take care of you and the baby?” He’s panicked. 

“It.”

“What?”

“You said you’ll take care of  _ it _ . Back alley coat hangers aren’t really my cup of tea, Buck,” she says getting up. “I need some air. I’ll be back later.”

“Chase, wait! That’s not what I meant!” 

“I’ll be back later,” she says slowly and deliberately. She doesn’t look at him. She can’t. She just walks out of the apartment, to the elevators and then outside. Fuck the entourage. Fuck telling anyone where she is.  _ It. _


	106. What She Hears Isn't Always What You Meant To Say...

Bucky is too stunned to move. Chase just walked out of the apartment, her last words were that she’d be back later. What the hell did he say that set her off? What the fuck did she mean by  _ it _ ? He wants to take care of her and the baby or babies, whichever. Fuck, he’d like nothing more than to have a little rugrat of his own. And Steve would go fucking apeshit for a kid. What the hell happened??

He calls Steve.

“Buck?”

“She’s gone. Just walked out -”

“What? Why? Because of the trio thing?” Steve demands.

“No. At least I don’t think so. Steve, I don’t know what happened. We were talking about her getting pregnant and she asked me what we’d do and I told her I’d take care of it…”

“Is that how you phrased it, Buck?”

“Pretty much.”

“What did she say after that?”

“Something about back alley coat hangers aren’t her cup of….oh my fucking god,” Bucky groans. He finally understands what the hell she meant.

“Buck?”

“She thought I meant I’d have her get an abortion. She thinks...she thinks I don’t want kids, that when I said I’d take care of it….”

“Oh no...Buck…,” Steve gasps. “Oh god. Where did she go?”

“I don’t know. We have to find her. I need to tell her that’s not anywhere near what the fuck I meant. Goddammit!”

“Stop. It’s not her fault and it’s not yours. She took what you said to mean one thing, you meant it the complete opposite. We’ll fix this,” Steve promises. “I’ll go see if she’s with Tony.”

“She’s worried about Nat slitting her throat. I barely survived going round with Stark in that suit and he’s got the nano tech now…all because I didn’t fucking understand what I was saying.” The first of the tears fall. He’s never going to get near her again after this. She’ll never speak to him and if Tony finds out he’ll either kill Bucky or remove Chase to an undisclosed location where Bucky can’t find her. Death would be better at that point. 


	107. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spidey To the Rescue

Chase walks and walks, not looking at anything, not seeing anything. Her heart hurts and her mind is going a million miles a second, replaying her interaction with Bucky over and over and over. 

_ It _ . 

By the time she stops walking and finally looks at her surroundings she’s lost and the sun is starting to set. To add insult to injury, this looks like it’s not the nicest neighborhood to be in after dark. 

Her phone is back at the apartment. She has no way of calling anyone. And who the fuck would she call? Bucky? Nope. Steve? Nope. Tony? Yeah, that’ll go over real fucking well. Bucky will end up dead and she’ll end up in a custom built tower she’ll have no chance of getting out of ever. 

And since this is the advent of all the new tech, phone booths are a thing of the distant past. She doesn’t have anyone’s number memorized anyway. She’s alone, scared, upset and confused. New York is a shithole. Pennsylvania wasn’t much better, but at least she could have figured out where she was and there was a better chance of finding someone willing to help her as opposed to ignoring her or mugging her. 

She walks a little further hoping that the fading light will give her some indication of which way to go. That she’ll see a street sign that she’ll recognize. Something.  _ Anything _ . 

“Miss Chase?”

Chase has to clamp her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming. Hanging upside down from a busted street lamp is the goddamn kid in his pajamas. 

“You okay?” he asks her, head tilted a little. 

“No. Honestly, no.”

“I can help,” he offers. “Aren’t you supposed to be with someone if you’re out of the tower?”

“I escaped.”

“You were crying,” he observes.

“Was I?” she asks. She touches her finger to her cheek and feels the damp trail her tears had left. She didn’t even notice she’d been crying. 

“Are you and Mr. Stark fighting?”

“No, kid, and I’m hoping to avoid that at all costs.”

“He doesn’t know you’re out. You escaped. You’re crying….you and Mr. Barnes had a fight.”

This kid is pretty goddamn good at working through puzzles. 

“Doesn’t matter. Got your cell on you? You can stick around while Tony comes to get me and then proceeds to tear me apart for disobeying him.”

“That doesn’t sound like fun for any of us,” the kid says. He flips himself and lands on his feet on the ground. “Should I call him?”

“Got anyone else’s number in there?” she asks only partially joking.

“Cap’s.”

“Why the hell do you have his?”

“He gave it to me. Said if I ever needed his help or got in trouble,” the kid explains and then shrugs. 

Chase considers this for a moment. If she calls Cap, he’s going to drag Bucky along and she’s not really feeling up to dealing with abortionists right now.  He calls Tony and she ends up dealing with the fucking nuclear fallout that is Big Brother Stark laying down his law. 

“I don’t suppose you have Pepper’s number in there by any goddamn chance?”

“No, ma’am. I’m sorry.” Chase can’t help but adore this kid. His aunt raised him right. God love May.

“Call Cap for me, kid. I’d rather deal with him than have Tony give himself a fucking coronary over why I left. And not one word of this to him, understand?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry I got you in trouble with Mr. Stark before.”

“It is what it is. You actually forced us to deal with that situation. I just don’t want to push anymore issues with him right now.”

“Okay,” he says scrolling through his phone. “Cap? It’s Peter.”


	108. Phone Call From The Kid

Steve was just about to the penthouse to talk to Tony. He’d met Bucky at the elevators and the two of them had decided it was best to leave Tony out of this until it was absolutely necessary. Steve doesn’t want Bucky to get murdered and neither of them want Chase to get thrown in Tony’s version of the Tower of London.  Unfortunately, they’d been unable to find Chase and her cellphone was left in the apartment when she walked out. Steve didn’t want to do this, but he and Bucky had no choice. 

His phone rings and he pulls it from his pocket hoping it’s Chase. It isn’t.

“Peter?”

“Hi, Cap. Sorry to bother you, but Miss Chase is out here and she’s...upset. She escaped the tower and left her phone. Any chance you can come get her?”

“Where are you?” he asks abruptly. Chase is outside of the tower and Steve knows that Peter is prone to circling less than savory areas looking for bad guys. 

“Willow Hill area.”

“Jesus Christ she walked that far?” Steve asks astounded. 

“I guess. It’s getting a little chilly out, Cap. I don’t have anything to help keep her warm and she’s shaking.”

“I’m on my way. Stay with her. Promise me you’ll stay with her.”

“Swear it, Cap.”

“Text me where you are. We’re on our way,” he says hanging up. He calls Bucky next.

“She’s with the kid in Willow Hill,” Steve says before Bucky can say anything.

“What? She fucking walked that far? Jesus Christ...I’ll meet you in the garage,” Bucky says hanging up. Steve knows Buck won’t wait on the elevators and he’ll go vaulting over the railings in the stairwell to get to the garage faster. He does the same. 

Bucky is already in one of the black SUVs when Steve runs into the garage.

“Get in,” Bucky orders. Steve climbs in, and hands Bucky his cell with the directions. 

“Remember how to get there?” Steve asks him as Bucky guns the engine and the SUV lurches out of the parking garage and onto the street. 

“Yeah. Is she okay? Did you talk to her?” Bucky demands as he whips around stagnant traffic.

“She’s shaking from what the kid said. He says it’s chilly -”

“She’s upset. Fuck. I didn’t know. I didn’t know that’s how she’d take what I said…” Bucky groans. 

“Dames don’t think like us, man. You see blue they see shades and hues.”

“Fucking bullshit. I can’t fucking believe I didn’t understand.” 

Steve stays silent. No matter what he says at this point, Bucky is going to continue to kick himself over this. He’s also concerned as to how Chase will react to seeing them both after Bucky’s proposal and then inadvertent button pushing. And that brings Steve to the topic they were discussing. Chase getting pregnant. Bucky’s always wanted kids, so has he. Little ankle biters to play catch with and tuck in at night and hold when they have nightmares….He knows that Bucky had not considered being a father since his capture and subsequent rehabilitation from HYDRA. Not until he met Chase. Steve just didn’t think he’d find a dame that would love him enough to settle down and pop out some kiddos. And then along comes Chase. Holy shit. If this isn’t just the most fucked up thing he’s been involved in since the war…

“Where are they?” Bucky growls. The sun has set and the only visibility in the area are the few working street light and the headlights of the SUV. 

“There. I see the kid dangling from the broken light pole. You can see her under him,” Steve says pointing off to the right. Bucky pulls the SUV up onto the curb and gets out with Steve. 

“Chase?” Steve calls. He sees her silhouette move in the harsh lights of the SUV. 

“She’s here, Cap,” the kid answers. “I told you that was them,” he says a little softer. 

“Don’t start acting like an ass now, kid. I need somebody with that malformed X chromosome to be level headed.”

“Malformed X chromosome?” the kid repeats.

“She means us, kid,” Bucky explains as they finally get to the kid and Chase. “Dames have two X chromosomes, makes them female. Guys have XY, makes us male.”

“Oh! Y is the malformed X - hey wait a minute!” the kid protests when he gets the jab. 


	109. Your Ride Is Here

Steve sees Chase shiver and wrap her arms around herself. She burned through her adrenaline rush and her body is trying to compensate for the lack of heat she’s generating now. 

“Chase,” he says approaching her slowly.    


“Baby,” Bucky calls to her. Steve lets Bucky take point in the approach. Both men are unsure how she’s going to react. Peter is still dangling from the street light, head tilted, watching them curiously.

“Boys,” Chase responds. She shivers again. Steve wants nothing more than to put his arms around her and hold her. He knows for a fact Bucky is dying to do the same. The question is will she let them? 

“Baby, I’m sorry. Whatever you thought I meant -”

“Let’s just get out of here. Peter, get in the car,” she says curtly. Peter obeys and drops from the light pole. Both Steve and Bucky are hurt by her tone. Bucky looks to Steve who can only shrug. They follow Chase and Peter back to the SUV. Peter and Chase getting in the back, leaving Bucky and Steve to get in the front. Bucky goes back to the driver’s seat, Steve takes shotgun. 

“Are we taking you home?” Chase asks Peter. Steve sees Bucky looking in the rear view mirror.

“Two blocks up. Don’t want Aunt May to get wind of what I do at night,” the kids says softly. 

“Directions?” Bucky asks.

“Buck, pay attention,” Steve warns when Bucky runs a red light and nearly clips an oncoming car.

“Fuck.”

“Uh...I can get out now,” Peter offers. 

“Just let them drop you off, kid. I’d rather know you’re somewhere a little safer than Crackhead Town,” Chase states. 

“Crackhead Town,” Peter repeats. “Are we still doing the tutoring thing?”

“Yeah. Call me tomorrow. I don’t have plans.”

Steve sees Bucky wince and Steve feels like he’s just been slapped with a hot iron. 

“Will Mr. Barnes be with you?”

“Doubtful.”

Now Steve is certain he and Bucky are in for a long night. He’s not going to let Buck deal with Chase’s anger alone, not if he wants to be a part of this. He’s going to have to learn to deal with her moods just like he learned to deal with Bucky’s. 

“I live on Elm. You can drop me off on Fiftieth,” Peter tells Bucky. 

“Alright,” Bucky says softly. He glances in the rear view quickly. Steve can see the hurt on his face every time a car passes them and the headlights shine into the SUV. 

The rest of the ride is deathly silent save for Peter fidgeting nervously and toying with the web shooters. 

They arrive at Fiftieth and Peter nearly jumps from the SUV. 

“Thanks for the ride, Mr. Barnes.”

“Get home safe, kid,” Bucky tells him. 

“Miss Chase...whatever happened between you and Mr. Barnes...let it go. Life is too short. Aunt May would give anything for ten more seconds with Uncle Ben. So would I.”

Peter shuts the door and then vanishes up into the sky. No one in the car moves for a moment. Peter is just a kid, but so goddamn wise beyond his years sometimes. 

Bucky puts the SUV in drive and pulls away from the curb. Steve sees  him glance in the mirror again. 

“Baby, don’t cry. Please,” he begs. Steve unbuckles his seatbelt and turns around in the seat to get to Chase. 

“It’s alright, dollface,” he says reaching for her. She shrinks away from him and curls up against the door. She makes no move, and says nothing to either of them. Steve feels Bucky’s hand on his arm pulling him back. 

“Don’t,” Bucky says quietly. “Let her be for now.”

Steve knows that if the roles were reversed and he was driving, he’d be telling Bucky the same thing. The only thing from keeping Bucky from climbing over the seat to get to Chase is the fact that he’s driving. 


	110. So Many Questions

Chase sits silently in the SUV, Peter’s words ringing in her head. He’s right. If something were to happen to Bucky and they were on shitty terms like this...she’d never forgive herself. And then there’s Steve. He’s trying to reach out to her, but Chase isn’t sure about this whole trio thing anymore, if she ever was at all. 

Bucky is high maintenance - through no fault of his own. He needs to be treated with kid gloves, he’s going to have episodes, panic attacks, he’s going to need to be reassured...she’s already seen him display some of this in the very short time they’ve been together. Steve won’t be getting the attention she gives Bucky. Steve knows what Bucky’s been through, knows that his best friend has problems. Steve is probably the only one who knows just how fucking bad it is for Bucky. But how would that work in a three way relationship? Is Steve still going to be understanding of his friend’s need for reassurance, coddling, potential favoritism? Let’s be honest, she’s madly in love with Bucky. She’s been so wrapped up in him that the thought of considering anyone else never crossed her mind. She knew Steve was eyeing her up. Hell, she’d eyed him up when she first saw him. Her fear of Black Widow kept her from doing anything more than looking at Steve a few times and then pushing him from her mind. Now he’s left Natasha...for her, seemingly. Chase isn’t sure what to do with this. She’s afraid of so many things. Will Bucky still get the care and attention he needs? Is Steve going to feel neglected? Will this cause an irreparable rift between Bucky and Steve? What if she ends up getting pregnant? Will Tony still be willing to house her if the boys decide this isn’t what they signed on for? Will Natasha nuke the fucking tower when she finds out Steve left her?

They pull into the parking garage and Chase wipes her eyes. She’s exhausted. It took them almost forty-five minutes to get back to the tower. But the night is long from over yet.


	111. We Have Come To A Decision

Bucky and Steve exit the SUV simultaneously. Chase opens her door and steps out slowly. Bucky is waiting for her, just beyond the reach of the door, his head cocked just a bit, worry and pain etched on his face. She shuts the door and sees Steve rounding the back of the SUV. 

“Baby, stop. Before we even go up to the apartment, listen to me -”

“Bucky,” she says cutting him off, “I’m tired. Whatever you two numbskulls have to say, you can say it upstairs in our apartment.”

Bucky blinks a few times. He was sure she was going to tell him to piss off and sleep somewhere else tonight. He makes a mental note to thank Peter, because he’s sure the kid is the reason she’s not screaming bloody murder at him right now. 

He sees her rub her neck as she heads toward the elevators for the interior of the building. He glances at Steve and motions for him to follow. Steve seems reluctant, and Bucky can’t blame him. Neither of them know what’s going to happen now. All they know is that Chase took what Bucky had said out of context and walked out on him. Bucky isn’t mad about that. He’s not even upset about it. Steve’s right, guys only see a color like blue as just that - blue. Dames see shades and hues of that same blue. Welcome to the Crayola Fun Factory. 

The elevator ride is even more quiet than the car ride. Bucky can tell how tired Chase is. Her eyes are red and there are dark circles under them. She shivers every now and then. He knows she’s not cold, not in the sense of temperature hot/cold. She’s tired, upset and confused. He’s tempted to just scoop her up and hold her till she falls asleep. The only thing stopping him is the potential of pissing her off to the point she does tell him to get the fuck out of her apartment and never come back. 

The elevator doors open and the three of them step off. 

“I’ll call you tomorrow, Buck. Goodnight, Chase,” Steve says and then starts toward his own apartment.

“You’re not coming over?” 

Steve stops mid stride. Bucky is just as shocked as Steve is at this point. Shit may still hit the fan on an epic scale here.

“I figured you’d want to talk to him alone,” Steve says softly. He doesn’t turn around to face either of them, just sort of talks over his shoulder. 

“Do you want to discuss this trio thing or not? If not, walk away,” she states. Bucky can hear the bitterness creeping into her voice. 

“Chase, we don’t have to do this. It was...it was a shot in the dark and I shouldn’t have said anything,” Bucky says quickly. He recoils immediately when he sees the look on her face. 

“I see. So we’re just going to throw this out there after telling Steven that you’d suggest this goddamn lunacy and then back out of it when you and I get into a tiff? Seems fair to him.”

“Goddammit, Chase,” Bucky groans, “I didn’t intend for you to take what I said to mean I wanted you to have an abortion -”

“Can we  _ not _ do this in the hall?” she snaps. Bucky inhales deeply and sees Steve has turned around and is shaking his head no at him. 

“You want to talk to us, baby, we’ll talk. We’ll listen. Will you do the same?” he asks gently.  He sees her eyes soften a bit. She’s defensive, he thinks, because she’s scared of being hurt. He can’t fault her for that. Neither can Steve. 

“Yes,” she agrees. The cold, bitter tone in her voice is gone - for now. The three of them head back to Chase’s apartment, once again in silence. 

“Are you sure about this?” Steve asks her as soon as they get inside. “Chase...we don’t have to do this. It’s fine -”

“Sit down, Steve,” she says tiredly. “You too, goofball.”

Well, goofball is better than being called something hateful and derogatory, so he’ll take it. 

Both he and Steve park on the sectional and Chase takes a seat on the coffee table. She rubs her neck and sighs.

“You two have me in a bind,” she says softly after a moment.

“Chase…” Steve sighs.

“Baby, please, don’t be like this,” Bucky pleads.

“You said you’d listen, right?”

“I did,” Bucky agrees. “I did.” 

“Steve?” she asks, directing her attention to him. 

“I’ll listen, dollface,” he says softly.

“What makes either of you think this will work?”

Bucky and Steve look at each other. Steve opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. 

“We don’t know if it will, baby. The only way to find out is to try it and see,” Bucky says.

“What about your friendship? You two aren’t afraid this is going to fuck up the longest BFF thing in history?”

“It’s a chance we’re willing to take,” Steve answers before Bucky can speak. She nods her head.

“Steve...why do you want this?”

Steve looks at the floor. Bucky can see the color on his friend’s face. He’s not sure how to answer and if Bucky were in his place, he’s not sure he’d be in any better shape.

“I’ve seen how well you treat Buck. How you take care of him. How you shower him with affection. I don’t…” he stops and laughs uneasily. “I don’t know what that’s like, Chase. Never had it. Not prior to the serum and not after. I seem to end up with dames who don’t have the emotional availability or range you do, I guess. I see Bucky and how happy he is - when you two aren’t at each other's throats. You know about us. You know what we’ve been through, to an extent. I think that’s why you’re so good at helping him. Even when you two are fighting, it’s not out of spite, it’s because you’re still trying to figure each other out. I don’t have that. I never had that. I’m being selfish…” he says and then shakes his head. 

“You aren’t being selfish, kid,” Bucky tells him. 

“He’s right. There’s nothing selfish about wanting someone to love you, Steve.”

“Even if it’s asking your best friend to share the girl he’s madly in love with?”

Bucky looks at Chase to see if she’s going to respond. She’s biting her lip, he can see she’s considering something.

“Under normal circumstances, that would be something out of the ordinary. None of us are in anything near normal. You two are a century old, both having been dosed with shit that makes you superhuman. I’m from a dimension where all this,” she says gesturing around herself, “is fucking fiction. I do have that insight into the two of you. That being said, are you sure this isn’t just a passing fancy for you. That it’s just a phase because Nat wasn’t what you wanted her to be.”

“It’s not a phase, Chase. I wanted it to be. I ignored the feelings, the temptations from the very start when you and Bucky weren’t a thing yet,  and I didn’t know...I wanted things to work out for Nat and I. The reality there was that it wasn’t supposed to. I wanted to be happy for Buck. I tried. I just kept seeing how happy he was and thinking I’ll never know what that’s like.”

“He needs someone just as much as I do, baby. He’s got a better facade than I do, but he has issues, too. PTSD doesn’t pick and choose.”

“I know, Bucky. I know he’s gone through his own hell, just like you have. Heroes don’t always get happy endings.”

“I didn’t do this to make you uncomfortable, baby -”

“I just have one last question for you both,” she interjects. Bucky snaps his mouth closed and Steve looks up from the floor.

“The original issue today was what would happen if I got pregnant. I plan on going to medical tomorrow and telling them to put me on something. But that’s not a guarantee something won’t happen. There will be two of you. If it happens, obviously only one of you will be the father. How’s that going to sit with the other one?”

Steve and Bucky look at each other. Bucky grins and Steve smiles a little.

“We both wanted kids since before the war, doll,” Bucky says. “What you heard today...that’s not what I meant. I don’t give a shit who the father is, I’ll be there to help you raise the baby.”

“I’m not going to pass up the chance to be a daddy to a little boy or girl with your looks and smile, angel,” Steve adds. 

Chase sits quietly on the coffee table. Bucky knows she’s get her reservations about this, knows that she’s scared. Hell, he’s scared. This could blow up in their faces. She could fall madly in love with Steve. Or she could ignore him and make him feel even less like he’s worth being loved. 

“You do understand that Bucky is the priority between the three of us, Steve? Because of the ongoing issues he’s got to deal with? You’ve done what you can for him so far, as have I, but I don’t want you to feel like you’re being ignored or slighted if he’s getting most if not all of the attention.”

“No, I get it, angel. I do. I know he’s been through a shit storm. I know he tries to hide it as best he can by being a goddamn asshole,” Steve says taking a cheap shot at Bucky. Bucky glares at him then flips him off and smiles pleasantly. 

“Bucky, are you going to get upset if he comes home and he’s hurt and sore and wants attention and I give him that much needed attention? I won’t be ignoring, I’ll just be showing him the affection he needs.”

Bucky looks over at Steve who looks like he’s about to melt. The idea of someone offering to love on him has made Steve a mess.

“I’d still get attention? You wouldn’t push me away if I needed attention? If we both came home and were in dire need of your touch, would you be able to help us both?” Bucky asks. He’s hoping she can pull this off. It sounds like she’s seriously considering this. She understands he needs extra attention because of what he’s been through, but she also understands that Steve needs that affection, too. 

“I pushed you away today because what you said to me sounded like you’d drop me off at the nearest abortion clinic then run off —“

“I would never - _never_ \- do that to you, baby!” He says thoroughly upset she would even think that to begin with. She puts her hand up to stop him before he says anything else.

“Female versus male brains. Your brains are in that sack between your legs. We can’t expect much from either of you.”

“Low blow,” Steve grumbles. Bucky is shaking his head at her, but he can’t help but smile a bit. Off hand remarks at their finest. 

“You’re a shit, doll,” Bucky says and then laughs when she grins. Steve even smiles a bit. 

“You’d both be willing to take care of a kid and/or kids that may not be yours?” She asks. Bucky can hear the hesitation in her voice. They are asking a lot of her. More than either of them have a right to. Bucky knows that regardless of which one of them fathered the baby, he’d love that kid till his dying day. 

“Yes,” Steve says, answering first. “I won’t leave you, angel. Not my style.”

“I love you too much to think about leaving, baby. And if we get pregnant, you won’t be able to get rid of me. I’ll get a regular job if you want.”

“Doing what, Bucky? A bouncer at a nightclub full of horny teenage girls and underdressed grandmas?” Chase asks. Steve snorts then cracks up laughing. Bucky pushes him till Steve nearly topples from the couch, but he’s still laughing. 

“Alright, smartass. What would you suggest?”

“You could take up crocheting,” Steve offers and then laughs more. Bucky is going to beat the shit out of Steve in a few seconds. He can see Chase is smirking. 

“What about you, asshole? What are you going to do? Strip?” Bucky demands of Steve. 

Chase is now biting her lip to keep from laughing

“Stop. Both of you before I separate you,” Chase scolds. Bucky sits back on the sectional with his arms folded and acts like he’s pouting. Steve is looking at him and then punches Bucky lightly in the ribs. 

“I’m about to beat your ass, punk.”

”Boys.”

They both stop and turn their attentions to Chase.

“You’re both serious about this? This isn’t some sick joke?” She asks. 

“No, baby. This isn’t a joke,” Bucky says gently.

”I wouldn’t joke about this, either, Chase. This isn’t something that we should take lightly.”

Chase is quiet again. Steve looks to Bucky for some confirmation of what’s happening, but Bucky has nothing to offer him. 

“What will you do about Natasha?” Chase asks finally 

“I already told her it’s over. I know she’s screwing around. I packed my shit and left -“

“You don’t think she’s going to get just a little pissed if she finds out you’ve moved in here with Bucky and I?”

This question leaves both the boys with their jaws unhinged.  It takes them a few moments to regroup.

“Are you...are you asking me to…” Steve stammers.

“Chase?” Bucky whispers because he’s not sure he heard what he heard. 

“Answer my question first.”

“She won’t,” Steve says flatly. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“She knows better, Steve. She’s not like that. Even if she was, Chase has us and Tony to protect her. Tony threatened to kill me if I hurt her.”

“You think that’s a joke?” Chase demands. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, baby. And if I do, he can do as he pleases to me, because I would deserve it at that point,” Bucky says calmly. 

“Jesus Christ, Buck,” Steve groans. “He would have killed you - _ could have killed you  _ \- in Siberia. He’s not someone to fuck with.”

“Steve’s right. Let’s not give Tony a reason to suit up and beat you to mush.”

“Mush?” Bucky repeats.

“Goddammit, James!” She snaps. Both he and Steve sit back in the sectional like kids being yelled at. “He took off your arm. He could have just as easily taken off your goddamn head!”

“Easy, baby, easy…” he says putting his hands up in surrender.

“Tony didn’t do it, though, Chase. He’s not a killer. Tony’s moral compass hasn’t always been the strongest, but he’s gotten much, much better.”

“Do we really want to push those buttons to see just how far he’ll go, boys? Seriously?” 

“No,” Bucky and Steve say in unison. 

They don’t say anything for a few minutes. Steve’s back to looking at the floor and Bucky is trying to figure out what Chase is thinking. 

“Baby?” He finally ventures.

“Is Steve staying over tonight or not?” She asks. Steve snaps his head up so fast Bucky is sure he popped a vertebrae or two. 

“I...am I?” He asks dumbly. Chase looks at Bucky and smiles.

“She seems to want you to, kid. How’s that going to work with sleeping arrangements?” Bucky muses more to himself than the others.

“Did we ever get anything from the people about the furniture?” Chase asks.

“Tomorrow. Same size bed...we may need to upgrade. Jesus Christ, Steve, go get clothes,” Bucky barks and then shoves Steve from the couch. 

“Chase?”Steve says. You can hear the uncertainty in his voice. 

“Do you want to stay?” She asks. 

“Yes.”

“Then get your stuff, punk.”

“Bring your clothes over. I’m tired and I just want to get showered and go to sleep.”

Steve’s eyes widen.

“Not tonight, punk. She’s tired. Go get your stuff,” Bucky orders. 

“You’re sure about this, Chase? Bucky?”

“If you keep asking we won’t be,” Chase says and then smiles. 


	112. The Duo Is A Trio?

Chase watches as the realization settles on Steve that he’s not going to be sleeping alone tonight. It’s almost comical in the saddest sort of way. Poor guy.

She gets up from the coffee table and stretches. Fighting with Bucky is tiresome. God help her if she starts arguing with both Steve and Bucky simultaneously. She’ll need an IV and a week’s vacation. 

Steve’s still lingering, even though she and Bucky have both told him to go get his stuff. He’s scared. She can’t blame him, she’s scared, too.

“Steve,” she says gently. She extends her hand to him. Bucky smiles and slinks up next to her like the giant leopard he is, and kisses her temple. Steve is hesitant to take her hand, but finally does. She pulls him to her and puts her arms around him. His muscles are like stone. Another one that works himself up and then ignores his body’s pleas for rest. He gingerly puts his arms around her, not like the bear hug he did the other day. 

“It’s okay, sweetpea. You can hug me. You’re okay,” she whispers to him. His embrace tightens and he drops his head on the opposite shoulder from where Bucky is. Jesus Christ...he does just want affection. He sighs and she can hear his pain. She looks to Bucky who puts his hand on Steve’s back. 

“You’re good, kid. It’s alright now. We’re home,” Bucky tells him. 


	113. Steve's Unannounced Visitor

Steve heads back to his place to grab as many clothes as he can. His heart is just hammering away in his chest. He’s excited, anxious, scared, nervous, happy...he can’t separate all the feelings right now.

Chase agreed to try dating he and Bucky both. She agreed. He’s still trying to process this. And this time when he hugged her it didn’t feel like he was pressing his luck. She’d held him. He wants more. He wants to be held and loved so badly. 

He’s in such a rush to get into his place he entered the code wrong three different times before getting it right. He finally gets in and is greeted by a none to pleased Natasha. 

“Short, sweet and to the point, Rogers. Much like our sex life.”

“What do you want, Nat? It’s over. How long have you been fucking Clint behind Laura’s back?”

Natasha’s eyes get huge. 

“It doesn’t matter now, does it?”

“No. But that still doesn’t answer the question as to why you’re in my apartment.”

“Are you sure you want to do this? Throw away the good thing we had?” She asks. She’s not serious. He can see this. 

“Nat. There wasn’t anything real between us. You’ve been screwing around with Clint long before you met me. If he’s that goddamn miserable with Laura maybe you should be busting his balls to figure his shit out.”

“This is true. You were a sure thing, though, Steve.”

“That’s as disgusting as it is disturbing, Nat,” he says and then shudders. She shrugs carelessly.

“Did you find someone else?”

“Does it matter, Nat?” He asks tiredly. His attempt to grab his crap and get out has been severely waylaid. He sits down on his couch  and looks at her.

“Humor me.”

“No.”

“Why not? Because you’ve been screwing around with what’s her name?”

“Who, Nat? Give me a name. Tell me who I’m supposed to be fucking?” He demands. He’s getting tired of this shit. He’s trying to remain civil with her because he has to work with her. She’s a damn good field agent, she just doesn’t make the best personal choices.

“Bucky’s new toy,” she answers harshly.

“A - she’s not his toy, and B- why the hell does it matter so much to you? What the fuck has she ever done to you?”

“She took you for starters.”

“Took me from what, Nat? This farce of a relationship you and I have had the past several months? You only wanted me around to keep you company when you couldn’t get to Clint.”

“If you knew why the hell did you stick around?” she asks.

“Foolish hope you’d come around eventually. Maybe I was lonely and just chose to overlook it,  I guess.”

“No hopes of reconciliation here, huh?”

“Negative, Natasha. There’s nothing to reconcile here,” he says bluntly. She nods. She’s clearly not upset, not even phased, seemingly. Steve isn’t sure if he should be offended. Then he remembers there’s a pretty dame with big brown eyes and a warm touch waiting on him to get back. He may get to find out tonight if her skin is as soft as it looks.

“Steve?”

“Nat.” 

“No hard feelings?”

“None. Just...don’t show up in my apartment without telling me first.”

“Fair enough. Don’t hurt her too much, Steve. Bucky won’t be pleased,” she says and then leaves. Steve rolls his eyes and gets up. He hopes that Natasha’s intrusive conversation hasn’t cost him the chance to spend the night with Buck and Chase. 

He grabs his bugout bag, and fills another duffel bag full of clothes as quickly as possible. Bucky bought them a new bedroom set. He’s going to see if he can get them a bigger bed. 

He grabs the rest of his gear, the shield and then rushes back to Chase’s apartment. 

He knocks softly on the door. He hasn’t forgotten Chase calling him a goddamn savage the last time he knocked. He’s surprised to see Bucky opening the door.

“Got your stuff, kid?”

“Yeah. Is she okay?” he asks stepping inside. “She’s good with this?”

“She’s in the shower. She’s tired. Very tired,” Bucky says. He stretches, the lights in the living room reflecting off the gray vibranium. 

“She walked what? Five miles? Eight? I bet she’s tired, Buck.”

“Come on, let’s get your shit in the bedroom. Don’t attack her, Steve. If she’s up to messing around, she’ll let you know,” Bucky says as he leads Steve to their shared bedroom. 

Steve isn’t surprised to see the same shitty bedroom set he has. Natasha had upgraded hers to something she referred to as shabby chic. Whatever the hell that was. It looked like beat up white shit. 

“What’s the new set look like?” he asks as he drops his stuff on the bed. Bucky grabs the bugout bag and steps into the closet. 

“Left side, top shelf next to mine,” he calls from inside. “Cherry wood from the 30s.”

“Where the hell did you find that?”

“An antique store he knows of,” Chase says stepping into the room. Steve sees she’s in nothing but a tank top and a pair of panties. Steve inhales sharply. He wasn’t prepared to see her in so little. 

“Should I put on clothes?” she asks worriedly. She looks over at Bucky for help. 

“Steve.”

“I’m good, dollface...just...still coming to grips with what’s going on here.”

“We all are,” she says gently. “If it bothers you I can throw on a pair of pants -”

“No! No. I...don’t, Chase,” he stammers. He’s kicking himself for acting like a goddamn teenage boy who’s never seen a set of tits before.  Bucky’s trying not to laugh at him and clearly failing based on the shit eating grin on his face. 

“You can put your stuff in the closet for now. Did either of you eat yet?” she asks. Steve watches Bucky snake his arm around her waist and kiss her cheek. He sees her lean into him. He wants this, too, but he’s not sure how fast to move with Chase. What she’ll be accepting of right away. 

“I’m starving,” Bucky mumbles from her neck. 

“I haven’t eaten since lunch,” Steve admits. 

“There’s a little lasagna left or I can make you two some eggs.”

“Lasagna,” Steve and Bucky reply together. This makes her laugh. Steve smiles. Bucky was right, she shines when she laughs. Jesus Christ, has he been ignoring these feels for her all this time?

“I’ll go warm up the rest for you,” she says breaking from Bucky. 

“You need to eat, too,” Bucky states. 

“Chase, heat up enough for the three of us,” Steve adds. 

“Yeah, yeah,” she grumbles as she leaves the room. Bucky and Steve both watch her walk away. 

“She doesn’t eat?” Steve asks when he’s sure she’s out of the room.

“When she’s tired or upset, no. Not willingly.”

“How do we get her to eat?” Steve is genuinely concerned Chase isn’t taking care of herself.

“Buckle down on her, Steve. That’s what I did the last time. She won’t eat much, but she’ll eat a little. And goddamn is that lasagna good,” he adds. 

“I fucking bet, man. That sauce was amazing," he says. "How do I know what to do with her, Buck?"

“Don’t panic, Steve. Don’t be afraid of her. She’ll tell you if you’re pushing too fast. Just watch and listen. It’s new for all three of us.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	114. Dinner And A Kiss

Chase is in the kitchen heating up the lasagna remains for the three of them. She’s concerned about Steve. He’s almost regressed into this bashful kid. Jesus, Peter is more forward than Steve is right now. She knows that part of it is that this is all new to him. It’s new to her. She’d like to think it’s new to Bucky, but she’s not about to probe him about his past experiences with girls from the 40s. Fucking player.

The last thought makes her laugh. Bucky is a shit, but he’s just a big, moody teddy bear, and she adores him. Steve is an ass, but he’s a sweetheart. She’s still trying to figure out why the hell Steve hasn’t found some pretty girl to dote on him. Maybe Bucky’s right, with all the two of them have been through, and with what they do, finding a chic that can handle all that might not be as easy at it sounds. 

Neither of them have come out of the bedroom yet. They’re probably talking about her. Or Nat. Or each other. Who the hell knows. Maybe they’re….

“Nope. Not gonna entertain that thought just yet,” she mumbles as she shoves another plate of lasagna in the microwave. The microwave goes off, all three plates are heated up. 

“Boys! Oh, boys!” she calls. It’s one of her favorite lines from Jaws. 

“Chase.”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Are you two going to eat or just keep playing in your little club house back there?”

“Club house?” Bucky asks, stepping into the kitchen. He’s got that playful grin on his face. 

“Hell of a place to put a club house,” Steve laughs. 

“You’re as much of a shit as he is. Sit down, assholes,” she says trying to act wounded. She can’t keep up the act, they both grin and she breaks and smiles. 

“What do you want to drink?”

“Do we have any Gatorade left, baby?” Bucky asks, right before he shovels a piece of lasagna in his mouth.

“We should. We just got more. Didn’t we?” She can’t remember now. She’s so fucking tired and her legs are sore from walking across what feels like the goddamn state.

“Pretty sure we did. I’ll get it,” he says getting up. She shakes her head no and Bucky sits back down.

“You’re never this obedient,” Steve says, awed at Chase’s ability to get Bucky to behave. Mostly. 

“You plan on sleeping in that bed tonight, punk?” Bucky asks.

“You’re not going to stop me,” Steve replies, grinning  from ear to ear. 

Bucky drops the fork on the plate and eyes Steve. Chase plants Gatorade in front of them and then leans against the counter with her plate to watch them.

“Do you want me to beat your ass?” 

“Still don’t think you’re in any shape to do it, Buck,” Steve states and then starts in on his lasagna.

“Bucky,” Chase says when she sees Bucky about to fire off some tirade of sorts against Steve. Bucky clamps his mouth shut and growls. Steve chuckles.

“I wouldn’t laugh too much there, golden boy. You keep pushing his buttons and he’ll just go after you out of spite.”

“Ha. Golden boy,” Bucky snickers. 

“You’re an asshole,” Steve growls. 

“It’s like having five year olds with potty mouths,” Chase muses. The boys stop bickering and look at her with wide eyed innocence. She’s not falling for it.

“Eat, baby,” Bucky tells her. He’s been keeping an eye on her, and Chase knows it. She’s only taken a few bites of her very small piece of lasagna, and those few bites she had to force herself to eat. She’s not hungry, just very tired.

“Please,” Steve states. His wasn’t a request, it was a statement, an order, much like Bucky’s was. Good, now there’s two of them to bust her balls. Well shit…  

She rolls her eyes and forces herself to eat another few bites. Steve has already devoured his and Bucky is just finishing up. She’s going to have to double everything she makes based on the amount of food it looks like these two can put away. 

“Was it as good as I told you it was?” Bucky asks, taking Steve’s plate and his own and bringing them to the sink.

“You’re a phenomenal cook, angel. I haven’t had lasagna that good in years,” he gushes. Chase smiles. She finishes the last of hers, shows Bucky the plate and lets him take it from her. 

“Good girl,” he whispers and then kisses her cheek. “You know you need to eat, baby. I’m not doing it to be an asshole.”

“I get it, Bucky. I’m going to go brush my teeth. You two can stay up if you want, but I’m spent. I just want to go to bed.” 

“I’m tired, too. Based on how bad Buck looks, so is he. It’s probably not a bad idea to try and get situated in there.”

“He’s right,” Bucky agrees.

“I didn’t say he wasn’t, sweetheart. You two taking showers tonight?”

“Yeah,” Bucky says and then stretches.

“I need to,” Steve replies. 

“Flip a coin or whatever. I’ll clean up the dishes and then head back to the bedroom when I’m done.”

“You want to go first, kid?” 

Steve doesn’t answer. He’s watching her, lost in his own thoughts it seems.

“Steve?” she says trying to pull him back to their world.

“Yeah. I’ll go. Sorry,” he says getting up and heading to the bedroom.

“He’s scared, Buck.”

“I know he is, baby. So are we. We’ll figure this out together. Go get him situated with the towels and stuff. I’ll do the dishes.”

“Are you sure about this, Bucky? I don’t want to lose you,” she confesses.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby. Not now, not ever. Just so long as you love me, I’ve got nowhere else to be.” 

Chase kisses him and then hugs him tightly. Bucky rests his head on her shoulder and holds her. 

“I love you,” she whispers in his ear. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“I love you, too, pretty girl. Go help numbskull. I’ll be done in here soon,” he says shooing her off. 

Chase heads back to the bedroom. Steve is just stepping out of the bedroom to head to the bathroom and they nearly collide.

“You okay, sweetpea?”

“I’m a goddamn mess if we’re being honest,” he says softly. Chase reaches out and caresses his face. He leans into her hand, eyes closed, brow furrowed. 

“We’re all scared, Steve. Not just you. Try and let go a little. I’m not going to hurt you and neither is Bucky. We all agreed to try this, and that means you have to let me in.”

He opens his eyes and she sees how scared he really is. 

“I just keep thinking about you telling me I’m an overbearing big brother…”

“Ah. Yeah. That. So, here’s the thing...you’re not to most subtle when it comes to your interests in women. I stopped eyeballing you when I found out who you were with. I have this fear of being killed dead.”

“You knew I was interested, at least on some level,” he says, working this over in his head.

“My eyes aren’t chest level.”

“Jesus Christ,” he groans. She sees him blush and smiles. He’s an adorable goofball.

“I said what I did as a way to keep you on your leash and to keep me out of trouble. Bucky…”

“I know. You’ve had a thing for him since you saw him.”

“And he was available, Steve. That’s what made the biggest difference. Had you been single….I don’t know. I don’t know what would have happened or if anything would have happened. Like I told Bucky, does it matter if this is where we are now?”

“No, angel. It doesn’t. It’s also a lot less weird now,” he says with a little laugh. 

“Alright now?” she asks gently. He smiles. 

“Yeah. Bucky says your body wash makes his skin soft. Can I try it, too?” He’s being an ass. Chase shakes her head and smiles.

“I’m going to beat his ass. Sure, use the body wash. I’m going to use his tomorrow just for shits and giggles now.”

“Ew. Please, don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?” Bucky asks coming down the hall.

“She threatened to use your body wash tomorrow,” Steve says, the look of horror still on his face.

“Why?” Bucky asks.

“Since you two are so infatuated with mine, I figured I’d use yours,” she answers simply. 

“No. No, don’t do that, baby. That...no. Just no,” Bucky says, also looking mortified at this thought. Chase can’t help but laugh at them.

“Why the hell not?” she asks. 

“No. Don’t do it. One smelly shithead is enough,” Steve gripes.

“Smelly shithead,” Bucky mutters, “she’d still smell better than you.”

“Boys.”

“Don’t use the body wash, baby. Please. I can’t...just don’t,”Bucky begs.

“I won’t. It’d throw off my pH anyway,” she says with a shrug. Now the boys look thoroughly confused.

“Do what now?” Steve asks.

“pH. That whole ecosystem that resides in my vagina? Very delicate down there, and stupid shit like a guy’s all in one body wash-shampoo-degreaser-jewelry cleaner-laundry detergent-drain cleaner would probably do more harm than good.”

“Jewelry cleaner,” Steve muses.

“Degreaser. Alright, smartass,” Bucky laughs. 

“Come on, sweetpea, let’s get you situated with the shower. You can use my stuff if you want, since you’re so offended by Bucky’s.”

She sees Steve stick his tongue out at Bucky who promptly flips him off. 

“I’ll be in the bedroom, baby,” Bucky tells her. 

Steve follows her into the bathroom. 

“Towels and everything are where they would be in your place. I guess. Use what you want to of mine, except the toothbrush. Dear god, don’t do that -”

“Brought my own. Calm down,” he says showing her his toothbrush. He grins. He’s starting to unwind a little. At least she hopes he is.

“Just come back to the bedroom when you’re done, alright?” She goes to leave and he catches her by the arm. 

“Chase, wait,” he says softly. She stops and lets him pull her back towards him. 

“What are you afraid of, Steve? Aside from everything Bucky and I are afraid of?” she asks. She runs her fingers through his hair and he sighs.

“Are you sure you’re alright with this? I don’t want you to feel like -”

Chase puts her fingers to his lips to stop him. 

“Listen to me, sweetpea. I’m not sure about anything, ever. I mostly just play everything be ear. If it feels right, go for it. I’m not going to say this isn’t the oddest thing I’ve ever been a part of, but it doesn’t feel wrong. Like moving Bucky in here didn’t feel wrong.”

“Female intuition?”

“Sure, let’s go with that. I have more to lose than either of you, but I trust you and I trust Bucky. When he asked me about this earlier today he had himself so goddamn wound up he had a panic attack. Then we got into a fight because we’re dumb.”

“You’re not dumb, babydoll. He is, but not you,” he says, but he’s smirking a little. 

“Meh. We’re dumb. You haven’t seen our level of dumb yet. Just wait.”

“I don’t know if I should feel threatened or not.”

“Smartass,” she says and then laughs. Steve gives her his million dollar grin. “When I was interrogating you and Bucky I was watching you to see what you’d say and how you’d react. You, of all people, hold tight to that moral compass you spoke of with Tony earlier. That’s your thing, and as far as I can tell it always has been. I don’t think you’d get involved with something if it didn’t feel right to you, Steve. Am I wrong?”

“No, Chase. You aren’t wrong. I just…” he sighs. “I just don’t want you to feel like you were coerced into doing this. I want you to say that you did it because you wanted to.”

“I’m doing it because I want to,” she says gently. “Because Bucky is right. You both need someone to take care of you. It just so happens that maybe it’s the same person for both of you.”

“Would you be mad if I kissed you, Chase?” 

She cocks an eyebrow at him. This is unusual to have someone ask for permission to kiss her.

“I’d be more offended at this point if you didn’t, I think.”

Steve smiles, runs his fingers across her cheekbone, lifts her chin and kisses her softly. 

“Was that so bad?” he asks when he lets her go.

“Oh good. You’re an asshole like he is. Did he teach you that or is this your influence coming out of him?”

“He’s an asshole. I’m just a victim of his friendship,” Steve jokes. 

“You’re a dick. Get in the shower, screwball,” she laughs. She kisses him on the lips again and leaves the bathroom. 


	115. Steve Gets His Wish. Well, Some Of It

Steve watches as Chase leaves the bathroom and pulls the bathroom door closed behind her. He got to kiss her. His heart is fluttering in his chest. Her lips are soft just like he’d imagined. She’d hugged him and kissed him. 

He was concerned she was only doing this because Bucky had coerced her into it. That she was doing it to make him happy, not because she genuinely wanted to. To hear her say that this was her decision and that she wasn’t being coerced eased his mind. As badly as he wants her, as badly as he wants to be loved by her, he doesn’t want it to be forced. 

His muscles in his shoulders and neck ache from the lack of sleep and the stress of trying to hide his feelings and then battling with Natasha. He doesn’t have to hide his feelings anymore Chase had told him. That doesn’t mean he’ll be able to. How fast is too fast? He got his wish and he doesn’t want to do anything that may jeopardize this. 

He turns adjusts the water temperature to make it as hot as he can stand it, hoping to ease his muscles. If he asked her...if he told her he was sore now...would she rub his back? Like she did for Bucky? He won’t know unless he asks. He makes the decision that he’ll ask her, the worst she can say is no, she’s tired. He still gets to sleep next to her tonight, if nothing else.

He steps out of the shower and finishes, then exits the bathroom. He can hear Chase and Bucky in the bedroom talking.

“What do you think, baby?”

“About what, Bucky?”

“Steve. This. Sleeping together….sex?”

Steve hears a small laugh from Chase.

“I don’t know, honey. I’m not an expert in relationships with three people. I’m not even an expert with relationships when it’s just two people. All I can do is try and see what happens and hope this doesn’t end up in catastrophe.”

“I don’t think it will, baby. I think if you can show him the love and attention you show me we’ll be fine. Just don’t forget about me, okay?” 

Steve can tell Bucky’s being playful with her, trying to ease her mind.

“There’s no way in heaven or hell I’d forget about you, honey,” she says. “He’s never had that kind of attention from a chic? Ever?”

“Not that I’m aware of. You got to remember, baby, the last time I saw him before I shipped out he was that skinny kid the dames wouldn’t look twice at. He was sick a lot. Next time I saw him he’s three times his original size and damn near two feet taller. Then there’s the gap in between the war and New York…”

“Okay, sweetheart, it’s okay. Don’t think about that. Please. He busted his ass to get you to this point, don’t dwell on that shit.”

“We’re here now. That’s what you told me.”

“We are. You, me, and Steve.”

Steve swallows his heart and steps into the room. Bucky has Chase in his arms, but lets her go when Steve comes in.

“I’m going to get in the shower. Don’t hurt him, Chase. He’s still a kid,” Bucky teases. Steve glares at him. Bucky smiles and disappears from the room.

“Let it go. He’s being an ass,” Chase says as she sits on the edge of the bed. “Are you okay, Steve?”

“I’m just sore and tired. I haven’t slept for shit since…” he trails off. He doesn’t want to tell her that he hasn’t slept because he’s been fantasizing about fucking her brains out and then about holding her and kissing her…

“What hurts?”

“Shoulders, neck. My goddamn head,” he answers.

“I’ve got Tylenol for your headache. There’s tiger balm - or as Bucky calls it  _ that shit _ \- I can rub your shoulders with. If you want.”

Steve blinks a few times. Did she just offer to...and he didn’t ask….sweet Christ.

“I know you’re tired, Chase, don’t worry about it,” he says trying to make it seem unimportant. 

“Steve.”

He can tell she’s not buying his bullshit. 

“Chase, it’s been a long day and I don’t want you to feel like you have to-”

“Jesus Christ, there’s two of them,” she grouses. “Stay put. I’ll get you the Tylenol and a drink and I’m getting that shit to rub your shoulders with. You know, should you decide you want me to touch you.”

“Ow.”

“I don’t take his shit, I’m not gonna take yours,” she sings to him as she heads out of the room. Steve can’t help but smile. She’s something else. 

He sits on the edge of the bed and rubs at his arms. The room is chilly and he’s only in his briefs. 

“Cold?” she asks, coming back into the room. She hands him a glass of water and then opens her other hand and displays two Tylenol. Steve takes them both, pops the pills and downs the water. 

“It’s chilly in here,” he admits. She takes the glass and sets it on the chest of drawers. 

“I can’t sleep unless it’s cold. Bucky’s a goddamn furnace so I haven’t needed more than a sheet to stay warm. If you get cold I’ll make sure there’s extra blankets. Or you can just curl up next to me. Whichever,” she says as she digs through one of the nightstands. 

“I like the curling up next to you idea,” he says softly. 

“Then do that, sweetpea. I don’t bite unless provoked,” she jests. He grins. “Come on, climb up here with me and tell me where it hurts the most.”

He watches her slink across to the middle of the bed and then pat the spot next to her. He makes his way to that spot and sits next to her. 

“Shoulders, mostly the back and middle and the back of my neck,” he tells her. He feels her fingers on his neck and jumps.

“Easy, sweetie, easy,” she purrs. “You’re like stone. You two are so fucking much alike,” she muses as she runs her fingers over his shoulders and then down his back. He shivers. He’s not had a dame touch him that softly ever. 

“Where’s your shirts, Steve? I’ll grab one and then put this on you. It’ll help keep you warm, too.”

She’s already making an effort with him. He doesn’t know what to do.

“Steve?”

“Duffel bag...in the closet. Sorry, Chase,” he mumbles, looking away from her. He feels her lips on his cheek and then she’s bounced off the bed and into the walk in closet. She comes out a second later with one of his t-shirts in her hands. 

“Steve, what’s wrong?”

He can only shake his head. He’s not sure how to respond to her touch, to her insistence on trying to help him feel better, to her offer to curl up next to her if he should get cold…

“Steve?” She’s back on the bed next to him, studying him. He’s afraid to look at her. He’s still that sick kid from so many years ago that doesn’t know how to deal with dames. He’s scared. 

He feels her moving around next to him and then feels her pulling on him, trying to get him to lean on her. No. Not lean. She wants to hold him. Jesus Christ, she wants to hold him and Steve’s about to break. 

“Come here, sweetie. Come on,” she coaxes. He gives in and lays his head on her chest, wraps his arm around her middle and closes his eyes. He feels her rub his back slowly and gently with one hand, while stroking his hair with the other. 

“Grab the blanket and slide under the covers, sweetpea,” she instructs. He does as he’s told, slipping under the covers and pulling the blanket up to his abs. She’s warm and soft and so goddamn gentle with him. He can hear her heart beating, his head resting on her plump breasts. This has to be heaven, he thinks. This has to be what it feels like. 

“Better now?” she asks him after several minutes have passed. He’d nearly nodded off on her, she’d managed to calm him and relax him that much. 

“Yes. Bucky’s right. You’re amazing at what you do, angel,” he says sluggishly. He’s realizing just how tired he is now that he’s warm and comfortable. 

“Is he okay?” 

Steve hears Bucky’s voice, but he’s closed his eyes again and is breathing in time with Chase now.

“He’s tired and he’s stressed. Just like you. It’s time for bed, handsome. Want to see if we can get all three of us in here?”

“He looks content the way he is,” Bucky says with a laugh.

“I am,” Steve mutters. “I can move.” He goes to slide off of Chase but she holds him to her. 

“Let’s try this - I’ll lay on my back so I can hold you both and we’ll sleep like that. At least for starters. He’s cold and I know you want to be cuddled with, too,” Chase states. 

“I’m game. Will you be comfortable, baby?” Bucky asks.

“If you’re not, push one of us off of you and we’ll adjust,” Steve says from his nested position on her. 

“What he said,” Bucky concurs. 

“Fair enough. Steve, sit up just a second, let me slide down a little.”

Steve sits up enough to let Chase slide down till her head is on the pillows. He pulls the covers over her legs and then slides down a little more himself till he’s able to put his head back on her chest. He closes his eyes, he can’t seem to keep them open any more. He feels Bucky’s weight as he climbs into bed, feels the heat radiating off of him as he curls up on Chase. She was right, Buck’s a fucking furnace. She’ll be able to keep him warm and stay warm herself with all the heat that Buck generates. 

He hears Bucky order Friday to turn off the lights, but that sounds far away. The world is drifting away as he lays curled up against his girl. His girl. Chase is his girl now, too. 


	116. Pepper Tells The Boys What Chase Wants

The alarm goes off and Bucky snaps awake. Chase is balled up behind him with Steve curled around her. He can see Steve stirring in the dim light. 

“Baby,” he whispers as he runs his fingers through her hair. She growls at him. He can hear Steve chuckling as he uncurls himself from her to get up.

“We’re going for a run, dollface,” Steve whispers to her. She stretches and groans. 

“Enjoy, boys,” She says through a yawn. 

Bucky points to the closet so Steve can grab his stuff. Bucky quietly gets his clothes from the drawers. They get dressed in absolute silence and then head out of the apartment. 

“How’d you sleep last night, kid?” Bucky asks when they get to the elevators.

“Like a rock. I haven’t slept that well in a long time.”

“She’s got a way of making you feel good, kid. I haven’t seen you that out of it in years.”

Steve laughs. “All she had to do was hold me and play with my hair, man. I was done.”

Bucky laughs. The boys step on the elevator together and head down to the lobby. 

“Do you really think this is going to work, Buck? I don’t want to fall any more than I have for her -“

“It’s new to all of us, Steve. If you want this to work you have open up to her. Trust her. I do. I trust her with my life, just like I trust you with my life and with hers.”

“And if you come home and find us screwing around? How pissed are you going to be, Buck?”

Bucky considers this for a moment. He’s used to having Chase all for himself - now he’s sharing her with Steve.

“There’s going to be jealousy, initially at least. I could ask you the same thing, though. You wake up to us messing around next to you, what are you going to do?”

Steve laughs. 

“Ask if I can join.”

“You’re such a goddamn punk,” Bucky mutters, but he’s laughing a little. 

“It’s an honest question on both our parts. I know she’s willing to sleep with you, Buck. The glow on you two is insane.”

“Still jealous? Jesus Christ,” Bucky teases. 

“Yeah, I am. She must be something amazing…”

“She is. And at some point you’ll find out for yourself.” 

“Which brings me back to my original question - if you come home and find her and I….engaged…”

“You’re such a prude,” Bucky laughs. 

“I’m serious, Buck. I’m not going to risk our friendship over this. No matter how badly I want her or want to be with her.”

“I get it, Steve. I offered this to you. I know how badly you need someone. I see you struggling. You don’t think anyone notices, kid. You keep it hidden pretty well. We’ll make this work. There’s going to be some jealousy, we both know that. How we handle it is going to be crucial. Especially if we want her to stay with us.”

Steve seems to be mulling this over. Bucky knows this is a big risk for all three of them, but the payout...oh, the payout could be so good for them. He and Steve especially. Chase has this magic touch that seems to soothe them both. He only hopes that they can show her how much she means to them both.

“I don’t want to lose either of you. Holy shit, Buck…….I’ve never had a dame willingly want to hold me or try and make me comfortable…”

“That’s how she is, kid. At least as far as she’s shown me. She’ll do all she can to make you feel good.”

“What do we do for her?”

“I have no fucking idea.”

Steve stops dead in his tracks. Bucky nearly trips trying to see where the hell Steve went.

“Bucky. What do we do for her?”

“Try and spoil her as best we can, Steve. I don’t know. I’ve been asking her when I can dote on her and she just says I’ll get my chance. The bedroom set was the only thing I could think of right off the bat and even that she fussed about. She doesn’t want material things -“

“She wants love. She just wants to be loved.”

Bucky and Steve turn around and see Pepper approaching them slowly, a cup of coffee in her hands, wearing a velour jogging suit.

“How much did you hear, Pepper?” Steve asks. She smiles and shrugs.

“Enough to keep my mouth shut around Tony. What you three do behind closed doors is on you. I gave you my two cents.”

Bucky sighs, relieved that Pepper knows the repercussions of Tony finding out about them.

“Thank you for being discretionary,” Bucky says. 

“It’s alright, boys. Just take care of her. Tony adores her. He won’t hesitate to come after you,” she says looking gently at Bucky. 

“I know. She told me. I don’t plan on hurting her, Pepper. Neither does Steve.”

“Incoming,” Steve mumbles. Tony is running towards them. Bucky knows it’s because he’s in close proximity to Pepper. 

“What the hell are you doing with them?” Tony demands.

“Saying hello,” Pepper answers casually. Steve smiles, Bucky shakes his head.

“Hey,” Tony says haughtily. “Ready to go?” He asks, directing the question to Pepper.

“Sure. Bye boys,” she says and waves. Tony has his arm looped in hers and is escorting her from Steve and Bucky. 

As soon as Tony and Pepper are out of ear shot both boys look at each other and laugh.

“That was too close,” Steve says. “I forget that he runs through here with Pepper.”

“Jesus Christ on a crutch. Not at all awkward or anything.”

“You think Pepper was right?”

“I find it hard to believe that no one ever loved that girl in her world. Last guy she dated was a fucking stalker, but still….”

“Why is it so hard to believe?” Steve asks calmly. Bucky gives him a perplexed look, not understanding what Steve’s point is. 

“Buck…..how is this any different from me?”

“She’s not a goddamn ape?”

“You’re a shit.”

“I know what you mean, Steve. She never felt like she was loved and that’s all she really wants. I get it. Our girl just wants to know she’s loved.”

“That’s it. We can still spoil her, though. Right?”

“Absolutely,” Bucky agrees.


	117. Steve Still Seems Unsure

Chase is texting Peter trying to set up another tutoring session when the boys come in. They’re both smiling like school boys who just got into trouble.

“What did you two do?”

“Nothing?” Steve asks. 

“Not a thing, baby.”

“I won’t kick his ass, because he just entered into this relationship. I will, however, kick yours, James Barnes.”

“Chase Barnes,” he taunts. “Or I guess it would be Rogers-Barnes,” he continues.

“Go for a walk, Steve. You’ll find Mr. Barnes in medical in about five minutes.”

“Seriously?” Steve doesn’t seemed phased. He’s used to Bucky talking shit. Bucky is laughing. Chase licks her lips and nods.

“You can sleep on the couch, Mr. Barnes.”

That gets him.

“Aw, baby, don’t be like that. What’s wrong with what I said?”

“We’ve had this discussion. Marriage isn’t funny or something I intend to bother with. Also, polygamy is illegal except in certain areas of Utah. I’m not moving to fucking Utah.”

“Fucking Utah,” Steve repeats and then chuckles. “Sounds like a lovely place.”

“Am I going to have trouble with you, too?” She asks.

“Nope, angel. I’m not the ball buster he is.”

Bucky shoots Steve a nasty look and that’s all it takes before Chase is laughing at them both. 

“Enough you two. I have a tutoring session with Peter today. What do you want for dinner?”

Steve sits next to her on the couch, leaving a little gap between them. Bucky sits on the other side of her, their sides touching. She can see Steve is still hesitant about this. 

“Meatloaf,” Steve suggests.

“Oh my god,” Bucky moans. “I haven’t had a good one in so long.”

“Meatloaf it is. What do you want with it?”

“Mashed potatoes?” The boys ask in unison. Chase smirks. 

“Feel up to going to the store? I’m meeting with Peter to do more tutoring.”

“When?” Bucky asks. He’s toying with one of her curls and it’s bliss. She can feel Steve watching them. She takes Steve’s hand and guides him towards one of the spirals. He’s even more gentle than Bucky, if that’s possible. To make it even sweeter, he’s enthralled with the way the curls bounce back into place. Bucky is watching him and grinning. 

“Probably the next hour or so,” she says and then sighs as both her boys toy with her hair. Oh, yeah. This is nice. 

“I’ll go,” Bucky volunteers. “Stay here with numbnuts. I’ll get cleaned up when I get back.”

“Are you sure?” Steve asks. Chase can hear the uncertainty in his voice. This would be the first time he’s been alone with Chase since the day they went shopping. 

“Calm down, kid. She won’t hurt you. Much. What do you need, baby?”

“I’ll text you the list,  honey. You sure you don’t want to take Steve with you? I think he’s scared of me,” she says, teasing Steve in hopes he’ll calm down a little. Steve takes a deep breath and grumbles at them. 

“He’s fine to go by himself,” Steve growls. “He doesn’t need me to hold his damn hand.”

“That’s enough,” she says stepping in. They are very much like brothers. The constant bickering and then cheap shots and then the overly protective shit they pull on each other is endearing. 

“Send me the list, baby,” Bucky says laughing at Steve who’s glaring at him. 

“Not taking a shower?” She asks. Bucky’s looks at himself and shrugs.

“It’s hot as hell outside. I’ll just get gross again anyway.”

Chase sees Steve open his mouth to fire off some kind of snarky remark and she puts her hand on his thigh. He jumps and clamps his mouth shut. Bucky finds this overly amusing and laughs hysterically. He lifts her chin and plants his lips to hers. She snakes her tongue into his mouth and he moans, his hands going for her breasts. 

“Down boy. You said you’d go to the store.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters getting up. “Send me the text, baby. See you later, punk.”

Bucky leaves and Steve is sitting quietly next to her. 

“Steve.”

“Chase.”

“Are you going to relax? I thought you were doing better last night, sweetpea. I’m not here to hurt you.”

He looks ashamed now, which makes her feel worse. 

“Steve,” she says turning his face so she can look at him. 

“Send him the text, dollface. I’ll get in the shower.”

“Steve, do you want to spend time with me?” She’s at a loss now with him.

“Yes! I mean of course I do, Chase. I just don’t...how fast is too fast? I don’t want to push you away.”

“I agreed to date you both. That means kisses, hugs, pets, cuddles and sex. Are you seriously content to just stare at my tits and fall asleep on them? I mean, if that’s your thing…”

“No, that’s not my thing,” he says and laughs a little. “I’ve wanted to touch you…” he stops himself.

“I don’t bite. And Bucky’s gone for a while. I have an hour till I go help Peter…” she’s trying to bait him. She wants him to touch her. She loves Bucky, but they all have to acclimate to this and the only way to do it is trial by fire. 

He looks at her, and she can see he’s trying to decide if he should and if she’s serious. 

Chase sighs and gets up from the couch. She heads back to the bedroom. She can’t force Steve into doing this, he has to want to, and it seems like he just doesn’t want to. She sits on the bed and checks her phone. Bucky sent her a message asking if she needed/wanted anything else and Peter’s just said ok to her meeting time. She’s tempted to tell Bucky this isn’t going to work because Steve’s afraid of her. Or him. Or something. 


	118. Steve and Chase Have A Discussion

Steve sits on the couch kicking himself for being too scared to do anything with Chase. She’s made every effort to show him she’s interested. She held him till he fell asleep in her arms last night. He woke up freezing and curled up behind her. She scooted back against him, her ass against his crotch. If he hadn’t been so goddamn tired…

Steve sighs. He’s going to lose out on this opportunity and he’s not sure what to do. 

He gets up and heads back the hall. He stops just before the bathroom. It finally dawns on him why Bucky left him alone with Chase. Buck’s trying to force Steve to make a move. She’s alone now, with him. 

He bypasses the bathroom and stops in the doorway of the bedroom. Chase is sitting much as she was the day she and Bucky were fighting - Indian style in the middle of the bed. She’s looking at her phone. He can tell by the look on her face she’s debating something.

“Penny for your thoughts, pretty girl.”

She looks up at him, that emotionless gaze striking him like a fist.

“Just wondering which of us made the mistake here.” She’s blunt and matter of fact in what she says. She goes back to looking at her phone. 

“I deserved that,” he says softly. He leans on the door frame and watches her, hoping she’ll settle down a little. She’s in that fortress of hers right now, and he’s the one that put her there.

“Chase.”

“Steve.”

“You didn’t make a mistake, Bucky didn’t make a mistake. I didn’t make a mistake. At least...I don’t think we did. I don’t know what to do with you, Chase. I don’t. You’re not like Sharon or Nat or Peggy. You’re an entirely different kind of dame, and I have shitty luck with dames. I’m not avoiding you because I don’t want to be near you -”

“No?” she asks without looking up. 

“No, Chase. I want to be loved by you so goddamn badly that I’m afraid I’ll do something to fuck this up. And, clearly I wasn’t wrong.”

This time she looks up. She studies him for a bit, but there’s still no readable emotion in her eyes or on her face. 

“You don’t seem overly interested, Steve. Last night you were exhausted. Today you’re rested and you’re looking for an escape route. Take that up with Bucky.”

That was a cold, hard shot to the heart.

“You’re wrong.”

“Doubt it.”

“Jesus Christ, are you this egotistical because of him or are you just like this because you get off on it?”

He sees her eyes widen in surprise at his tone and words. 

“I’m not the one that was pining over my best friend’s girlfriend to the point I drove myself fucking crazy and then when my best friend offered me the chance to share her like a favorite toy, and his girlfriend agreed, decided this isn’t what I really wanted -”

“Stop,” he snaps. “This is what I wanted. You don’t know how badly I’ve wanted it, Chase. I went from being jealous of the fact that Bucky got to fuck you to being jealous of the fact that he got to hold you. Hearing him tell of all that you’ve done for him - in five goddamn days - I don’t know what that’s like and I wanted it. I wanted you.”

“Past tense,” she mutters and goes back to looking at her phone. He’s about to take that phone and throw it out the damn window.

“Present tense, you asshole.”

She looks even more surprised by this.

“I’m the asshole? Really? Here I thought I was making every effort to show you that you’re welcomed and that I agreed to this and that I do want you here. Obviously I’m fucking hallucinating.”

Steve closes his eyes tightly and pinches the bridge of his nose. This is what she’s like when she and Bucky fight. Belligerent. He’s not fool enough to believe she’s the only one at fault here, but goddamn she doesn’t make it any easier. 

“You are the most hard headed, argumentative dame I have ever come across.”

“So glad to hear it, Rogers.”

And we’re back to the last name usage. 

“Why are you doing this, doll?” He’s softened his tone in hopes she’ll do the same.

“Why are you?”

“Because I fell for you the first time I saw you. Because I stupidly ignored those feelings because I was dating Natasha and I thought I could still make things work between her and I. Because you told me I was just the big brother type and you weren’t attracted to me. Because I’ve been dreaming about all the different things I’d love to do with you. Because I’ve been dying to find out if you’d be willing to make me as happy and love me as much as you do Buck. And now I have the chance to find out and I’m fucking terrified I’m going to lose you or Bucky or both.” 

There, he said it. He told her the truth. God help him.

She’s silent now. The phone is sitting next to her on the bed, temporarily forgotten.

“Is this just about sex, Steve?”

“No.”

Silence again.

“You have to decide what you want to do here. You can’t just hang out and watch from the shadows and expect to get the things you want. Either make an effort or don’t. I’m not going to keep rehashing this with you. Neither will Bucky.”

“If I’ve made my choice?”

She studies him for a moment.

“Then act on it, Steve. No more bullshit.”

 


	119. Steve and Chase Take a Shower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut.   
> Smut Warning.  
> There is shower sex.  
> This has been your early warning system.

Chase sits on the bed, fully fed up with Steve’s seeming lack of interest. I want to/I don’t want to. Now he says he’s made up his mind. She has her doubts, but seeing the sad look in his eyes prompts her to try again with him. 

“I want to make this work with you, Chase.  I want you. Last night...last night I was so goddamn tired and I didn’t realize just how tired until you held me and I passed out on you. When I got cold and I balled up behind you...did you know I was there? Is that why you slid back against me?”

“I felt you shivering so I moved closer to you. I told you you could curl up against me if you got cold. You could have held me if that would have warmed you up more, but you didn’t.”

“Chase…” He looks away and shakes his head.

“Come here.”

“Are you going to be a belligerent asshole still?” He’s smirking a little when he asks this.

“Are you going to stop this should I/shouldn’t I shit?” She asks in return. She sees him blush a little.

“Yes. I want to be with you. I know why Bucky wants you, too. I want you to love me, Chase. I want to love you.”

“Will you come here? Please?” 

He comes over and sits next to her. She can see he’s tensed up still. 

“Did you like being held last night?”

“Yes,” he says. He smiles timidly. 

“Do you want me to do that more?”

“Hell yes.”

She laughs at his enthusiasm. 

“I don’t bite, Steve. I told you, I’m not going to hurt you,” she says running her fingers through his blonde hair. His eyes close when she does this. Both her boys like their pets and cuddles. 

“And you’re okay with this? No bullshit?” He asks. 

“No bullshit, sweetpea. Hang on,” she says as her phone starts going apeshit.  “Hello...where the hell are you….just be careful and don’t do anything stupid. Call Tony if you get in trouble, you understand?”

Chase hangs up the phone and rubs her temples. She’s taken on the pissy big sister role with Peter. 

“Peter?” Steve’s not stupid.

“He can’t do tutoring because something came up.”

Steve nods his head, but doesn’t say anything else. She runs her fingers through his hair again and he sighs. 

“Come take a shower with me, Chase.”

She’s caught off guard by this sudden request. He sees the look on her face and backs down instantly. Chase is scrambling to think of a way to calm him down.

“It’s alright,” he tells her as he gets up. 

“You didn’t give me a chance to answer,” she says softly. “Are you just going to walk away?”

“The look on your face -”

“You caught me off guard with the request, sweetie. That’s all. There was nothing more or less to it.”

He’s stopped in the doorway. 

“Will you?”

“Take a shower with you?”

“Yes.”

“You do realize this involves us being naked, right?” she teases.

“Goddamn smartass,” he says and then laughs a little. “I didn’t expect you to go in fully clothed.”

“Will you be clothed?”

“Oh my god, we’re back to being an asshole again,” he groans. She laughs. “No. I will be naked. You will be naked. That’s how showers usually work.”

“Oh I see. So...like this?” she asks. She’d stripped off her clothes while his back was to her and she was asking her stupid questions. Steve looks over his shoulder at her then spins around quickly to face her. He looks like he stopped breathing, which is worrisome.

“Steve?”

“Is this a yes?”

“You’re still clothed. Didn’t you just lecture me on how showers work?” she asks getting up. She can clearly see he’s aroused, the jogging pants, much like Bucky’s, don’t leave much to the imagination. 

“I did, didn’t I?”

“You did. Guess I’ll be showering alone. Again,” she says making it sound like she’s heartbroken at the idea. She steps past him and heads into the bathroom. He’s right behind her, pulling his clothes off and nearly ripping them trying to get out of them. 

She turns on the shower and lets the water warm up a little. She feels Steve come up behind her. He puts his hands on her shoulders then runs them down her arms. He pulls her back against him, her ass against his cock, making them both moan. He kisses her neck and runs his hands over her sides and to her hips. 

“I hoped you’d be this beautiful,” he whispers to her. His voice has taken on a low, velvety tone that sends shivers down her spine. He kisses her neck and shoulder, running his hands over her mid section and up to her breasts. He cups them and kneads them gently, pulling her tighter against his body. 

“Get in, pretty girl,” he whispers to her. Chase obeys and steps in, all the while Steve keeping her in his grasp. He runs his hands over her midsection, down over her pelvis where he stops.

“Spread your legs a little, pretty girl,” he whispers. She’s so taken with his tone and touch she just obeys and opens herself to him. He slides his hands down further, fingers running lightly over her clit. She leans back into him as he continues to run his hands over her, his fingers caressing her thighs now and working their way back up to her heat. She takes his hand and guides him to where she needs him the most, both of them moaning as his fingers find their way inside her. She grinds herself against his hand, looking for more from him. 

“Slow down, slow down,” he purrs. Chase is sure she’s going to melt or come or both if he keeps kissing her and talking to her like that. He teases her with his fingers, his touch is soft, driving her mad because she wants more, but the feeling of his touch is so good she doesn’t want him to stop. He goes back to kissing her neck and shoulders, one hand now kneading her breast, the other alternating between toying with her clit and sinking into her wet pussy to tease her that much more. 

“Steve….” she moans.

“Tell me what you want, Chase. Tell me what you need.”

She’s not sure she can form words. His erection has settled between her open legs, and he’s moving himself so that his cock rubs back and forth against her, making her need that much more dire. Jesus Fucking Christ…she moans loudly when he uses both hands to pull her thighs open a little more. 

“Tell me,” he whispers in her ear. She can feel the water cascading off of them both, his fingers holding her legs apart, the aching desire to have him inside her intensifying each time he rubs himself over her.

“You...I want you…” It’s all she can manage to get out and she’s surprised she got that much out. Steve slides his hands back up to her breasts, cups them and fondles them briefly, then takes her shoulders and turns her around to face him. He smiles when he sees the look on her face. This was his intention, to wind her up like this. She knows this. She loves this. 

In a sudden rush of movement he’s got her up off her feet, and pressed to the shower wall, one hand on each leg supporting her while making her open and available to him. She wraps her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She grinds into him, looking for his cock, trying to get him inside her. 

“Is this what you want, pretty girl?” he asks, teasing her a little. He frees one hand and runs the head of his cock over the outside of her pussy, driving her further into delirium. 

“Steve…” This time she’s growling his name, like a wild animal in heat. She hears him chuckle a little and then he slides himself into her, slowly. No matter how much she grinds against him he keeps that slow pace up till he can’t go in any further. When she stops fighting him, stops trying to force him to move faster, that’s when he goes to work, thrusting into her with hard steady pumps, making her tits bounce with each thrust into her, his balls slapping against her. He keeps going, that hard, steady pace, pushing her to her breaking point till she cries out, digging her nails into his back and burying her face in his shoulder as she shakes in his arms. She can feel him slowing down, hear him moan as he comes and she feels him release inside her. He takes a second to catch his breath while Chase tries to find a way down. She feels him slide a hand between them, his fingers circling her sensitive clit. She arches off of him, slamming her back into the shower wall, the lower half of her body becoming possessed and bucking and grinding as he teases her. The feel of him inside her, the way he’s using his fingers, she’s coming again and she can see he is too by the look on his face. He stops, grips her thighs as he comes with her, her body shaking all over again. 

The two of them stay still for a few moments, both panting and holding onto each other. 

“You okay, dollface? Did I hurt you?”

“No...no...I’m good. Goddammit, Steve. You and Bucky are going to put me in a fucking wheelchair.”

He laughs a little.

“Let’s not go that far, pretty girl. I’d like to have you enjoy yourself like this.”

She cups his face and presses her lips to his. 

“Was it what you hoped for, sweetpea?”

“Almost,” he says and smiles.

“Almost?”

“Only thing left is to hold you.”


	120. This Is What Happens When Bucky Comes Home

Bucky walks into the apartment, his arms laden with groceries and a bouquet of flowers for Chase. He’s hoping she and Steve had some time to bond before she went to tutor the kid. He doesn’t hear or see Steve, and he wonders if he went with Chase. 

He finishes putting the groceries away and then watering the flowers he bought and heads back toward the bedroom. He hears hushed voices and some giggling. He’s hit with the first pangs of jealousy. 

He steps into the bedroom and sees Chase and Steve laying next to each other on the bed. Steve is playing with her hair - which is damp still? Again? They both have that after sex glow to them. Now...now he’s hurt. 

“Bucky? Honey, what’s wrong?” Chase asks when she sees him. She sits up quickly and scoots to the end of the bed.

“Nothing,” he mumbles. He walks out of the room torn between screaming and crying. He wanted this. He talked her into it. He didn’t think it would hurt this much. 

He sits on the sectional and rubs his face. He loves Chase. He loves her more than anything, but seeing her with someone else - even if it was Steve - that nearly breaks him.

“Bucky?” Chase is in the living room with him. She sits next to him, and he can feel her eyes on him. He sees Steve come into the living room out of the corner of his eye. 

“Buck?”

Bucky chokes out a laugh.

“I thought I could handle this.”

“Oh god...Bucky,” Chase whispers. She puts her hand on his arm and tries to get him to look at her. He pulls his arm away. He sees her cringe and he shakes his head. 

“Don’t take this out on her, Buck,” Steve says gently. “This is what we wanted. Isn’t it?”

“To come home and find the girl I’m madly in love with has just fucked my best friend,” he growls.

“Because you presented the option to make our couple a trio. You asked me to do this for you and for Steve. I asked you if this would cause issues and you told me it wouldn’t, that if it did you’d work through it. Now I’m the bad guy?” Chase asks. He can hear her voice crack, he knows she’s crying. This hurts him, too, because she’s right. 

“I didn’t think it would hurt like this,” Bucky admits. “You could have waited a little longer to fuck him,” he adds, not covering the anger or jealousy in his voice. 

“Buck, don’t take this out on her. Take it out on me. It’s because of me this happened, that we’re in this situation,” Steve says tersely. 

Bucky looks over at his lifelong friend and sees the frustration on Steve’s face. 

Bucky doesn’t reply, he just gets up and walks out of the apartment. He can’t look at either of them right now. He hears Chase crying, yelling for him. He just walks down the hall and then keeps going till he’s back outside. He needs to cool off and he needs to get over his jealousy. 

He heads to Central Park and parks himself on a bench in the shade and just sits and thinks about what’s happening. He can feel his phone going off still. He knows it’s Chase and Steve or at least one of them trying to get in touch with him. He can’t talk to them yet. If he says anything now things will escalate and the damage will be beyond repair. 


	121. The Return Of Dr. Strange

Tony and Pepper are going over business items for Stark Industries when a portal opens and Dr. Strange appears before them.

“You don’t just knock or call like a normal person, do you?” Tony asks.

“We have a problem,” Strange says, ignoring Tony’s attempt to bait him into an argument. 

“Aside from your inability to announce your arrival?” Tony questions angrily. 

“I’ve had a chance to look into the outcomes of Chase being here. There is a cataclysmic event coming. Something that seems to center on her being here. I can’t make out exactly what it is, but in all instances she’s involved or at least there. She’s the common denominator, if you will.”

“What are you saying?” Pepper asks, the fear evident in her voice. Tony sees her put her hand over her stomach. Somebody has something to tell him once he gets rid of Dr. Weird.

“She needs to go back.”

Tony snaps his attention from Pepper and what may or may not be in her belly to Dr. Strange.

“Wait just a goddamn minute,” he barks. “Just because your little psychic episodes and your ghost dimensions showed you some shit were she just happened to be -”

“Every single outcome she is there, Tony. Every. Single. One. What does that tell you?” Strange demands angrily. 

“That you’re a fucking nut,” Tony snaps. Pepper puts her hand on Tony’s arm in an effort to calm him down. 

“Listen to me, Stark. She has to go back. Lives are at stake here. You can’t keep her as your pet any longer.”

Tony is about ten seconds from tapping the suit on and beating the shit out of Strange. 

“She's’ not my goddamn pet, for one. For two, are you going to tell Barnes that his new girlfriend is a goddamn global threat? How well do you think he’s going to take it?”

“As well as Rogers will take it since she’s seeing them both.”

“Oh no,” Pepper sighs. 

“Excuse me?” Tony says, his head spinning from the words his brain refuses to acknowledge.

“That’s not important. Who she’s seeing, who she’s screwing are not of consequence right now. She needs to go back.” Strange is adamant about this. 

“I thought you didn’t know how to get her home,” Tony states coldly. “What happened to don’t get her hopes up?”

“I found a way. I have the Tesseract and the Time Stone.”


	122. The Shit Continues To Hit The Fan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how I feel about this chapter, guys. I may end up deleting it and going at this from a different angle. Let me know what you think and we'll go from there.

Chase is in medical waiting to see someone because she feels like she’s dying and she can’t stop crying now. Bucky walked out and not ten minutes later Steve went after him. Steve left her on the sectional in near hysterics to go after his best friend who agreed that a trio would work and then got pissed off when she and Steve…

Fresh tears stream down her face. Hindsight is 20/20 they say. 

“Chase?”

“Bruce,” she replies, wiping at her eyes.

“Everything okay? That was a stupid question, you’re crying so I guess not.”

She laughs a little bit. Bruce is the awkward teddy bear of the group. 

“No, it’s not, but that’s my own fault. I was wondering if you could give me something to just…”

“Settle your nerves?” he asks. He’s intuitive, thank god.

“Yeah.”

“Come on, let’s talk in private. There’s an open room just down the hall here,” he says pointing in that direction. Chase gets up from the chair and follows him to the room. Bruce shuts the door and Chase sits down heavily in one of the chairs.

“I’m not going to ask what happened - unless you want to tell me.”

“It’s dumb, so no.”

“Got it. Before I can give you anything I’ve got to ask you the standard questions. Don’t be offended.”

“What the hell are you going to offend me with, Bruce?” Chase asks trying to figure out what the fuck kind of questions he’s going to ask.

“I know you and Barnes are….”

“Screwing? Yes.”

“Is there a chance you could be pregnant?”

“It’s been like a week. I don’t know, probably not.”

“The serum has unique properties, Chase. It heals both Rogers and Barnes at an incredible rate due to how quickly it makes the cells regenerate…” he stops, he’s thinking about something. 

“Bruce.”

“If the cellular regeneration is excelled in the healing factor...there’s a chance it may be the same with cell growth.”

“English please, Bruce. I’m having a shitty day and my head fucking hurts.”

“If you’re pregnant the baby would develop faster than a normal fetus would.”

Chase looks at him completely unamused.

“I’m not pregnant.”

“I have to be sure. The stuff we have here isn’t something that should be given to...well…”

“For fuck’s sake,” she groans and wipes at her eyes again. “Fine. I’ll pee in a cup if it’ll make you happy and get you off this pregnant kick.”

Bruce opens a cabinet and hands her a sterile cup. 

“Bathroom is two doors down. Bring it back when you’re done,” he instructs. 

Chase growls and takes the cup out of the room and to the bathroom. If he can give her something to calm her fucking nerves and make her feel like her heart isn’t about to explode then she’ll piss in a cup, a bucket, a trough, whatever he wants. 

She finishes and brings the cup back to the room. Bruce has what looks like a more elaborate pregnancy pee stick ensamble on the counter. She puts the cup on the counter and goes back to the chair to rub her temples. 

“Chase,” Bruce says after what seems like an eternity.

“Bruce.”

“It’s positive.”

“Do it again. False positive.”

“I’ve done it three times, Chase,” he tells her, his soft bedside manner taking over. Chase glares at him.

“Then you’ve got the wrong sample.”

He looks at her and shakes his head.

“Did you bring this in?”

“Yes.”

“Did someone do the sample for you? Because the only other pregnant female I know of is Pepper.”

“It’s wrong.”

“I’ll take a blood test. It may be too early, but since you’re so stuck on this being someone else’s urine sample….” Bruce is getting tired of her shit. She’s tired of everything and she’s pretty sure she’s going insane.

Bruce pulls out a sterile needle and a couple of empty blood vials. 

“Do you have a preference of which arm?”

“No.”

“Come sit on the table here. Try and relax,” he says softly. She watches him tourniquet her arm and then looks away when he gets the needle ready. She barely feels the stick - he’s good, she’ll give him that. 

“Done. I’m going to run this to the lab. I’ll have them make it a priority. Can you wait?”

“No place I have to be, Bruce. Other than the fucking loony bin.”

Bruce shakes his head and leaves the room. 

This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. It’s been less than a week. Even if she was pregnant it’d be weeks till she’d be able to tell. Weeks. Not days. Is this another whacked out part of this fucking universe? Gestation periods last half the time? No. She’s not pregnant. She can’t be. Especially not now. Not when she has to figure out what the fuck is going on with Steve and Bucky and if there’s anything to salvage between the relationships the three of them had. 

She wipes at her eyes again. She should have said no to Bucky’s request. She should have just let it go and told him it won’t be a thing and Steve will find someone and….

But she couldn’t tell him that. She couldn’t because he convinced her Steve needed her, too. He convinced her that this would work, that they’d make it work. Yeah, worked out real fucking well, didn’t it?

Her phone starts to ring in her pocket. She’s hoping it’s Bucky. It’s Tony.

“What?”

“Where are you? What’s wrong?”

“Medical getting blood drawn.”

“Why?”

“You don’t want that answer, Tony, and you don’t want to know what’s wrong.”

“I do, because we have bigger issues.” His voice is shaking a little and this scares her.

“Like what? What could be a bigger issue than being knocked up?”

She regrets that questions the second it leaves her mouth. There’s an empty silence on the line.

“I’m coming to medical. Don’t leave.” He hangs up on her before she can reply. Good, now he can be upset with her, too, and then he’ll chase down Bucky and Steve will get involved and it’ll be Siberia all over again and….

She feels sick suddenly. She gets to the sink just in time to vomit. 

“Chase?” Bruce is back in the room. Chase runs the water to flush her ew down the sink and rinse out her mouth.

“Tell me you have good news, Bruce.”

“That...I’d say it would be if this was something you wanted to have happen.”

Oh god. Oh god it’s true. She feels her legs turn to rubber. Bruce has his arms around her and is helping her to a chair to sit down. Tony comes barreling through the door a second later. 

“She’s pregnant?” Tony demands. 

“Yes.”

“Are you sure? It’s been…”

“I know. Super soldier serum. She’s not taking it well, either.”

“Chase, kiddo, this is the least of our problems,” Tony says dropping to a squat in front of her and taking her hands.

 


	123. Strange Finds Steve and Bucky

Steve goes after Bucky to try and diffuse the situation before it gets worse. 

He can’t find Bucky in the building so he heads out to the park, it’s the only other place he would be. 

He finds Bucky sitting on a park bench, head down and hands between his knees. 

“Buck.”

“Steve.” Bucky doesn’t look up, just sits in that same position.

“Buck, talk to me.”

“What do you want me to say, Steve?”

“This isn’t her fault.”

“No, it isn’t. It’s mine. I thought...I thought I could handle this, thought this would work. Seeing her with you…” he trails off and shakes his head.

“If anyone’s to blame here, it’s me,” Steve says tiredly. I should have kept my fool mouth shut. I’m sorry, Buck.”

“Don’t. It’s not your fault. It’s not hers -”

“It’s not yours either,” Steve interjects. “You did this in good faith.”

“I love her, Steve. I love her more than I can tell you. I feel fucking sick right now.”

“What do we do, Buck? How do we fix this? I left her crying to come find you -”

“Why would you do that?” Bucky demands looking up at Steve for the first time. 

“To make sure you didn’t do anything stupid.”

“She’s alone?”

“More than likely, yes. I came to find you and bring you back so we could work this out. Even if that means the trio goes back to a duo.”

“You shouldn’t have left her alone, Steve,” Bucky says getting up quickly. “She’s going to think we left her behind.”

“Gentlemen,” Dr. Strange says appearing from a portal almost instantaneously.  Both Steve and Bucky freeze.

“Dr. Strange,” Steven says calmly. Bucky isn’t impressed at the magical theatrics. 

“We have a problem.”

“Yeah,” Bucky says haughtily, “and we’re going home to fix it.”

“Your love life and your little menage a trois is not what I was referring to.”

“If he knows, Tony knows and I’m sure the goddamn tower is on full lockdown now,” Steve groans. 

“Tony knows. It doesn’t matter. She has to go back.”

“What?” Bucky snaps. 

“Chase has to return to her world. Lives are at stake -”

“Did you pull this out of your ass or did Stark put you up to this?” Bucky growls.

“Neither. Unlike you I have more brains and use them to my advantage.”

Bucky lunges at Strange who is all too prepared for this. Steve manages to catch Bucky and set him down before Strange can portal Bucky to some godforsaken land. 

“Enough!” Steve yells. “What the hell are you talking about, Strange?”


	124. The End Of Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, this is the end of part one. Don't worry, I'm going to start a fresh story that will be part 2. If you stuck it out this far, thank you. We haven't seen the last of Chase or the Avengers. Part 2 will probably start seeing posts today.

Tony sits with Bruce and Chase in the medical room. Chase is in hysterics. Between finding out she was pregnant with a super baby and now finding out that she’s potentially part of the end of the world, Tony can’t blame her for losing her shit. He’s about to lose his shit. This is his kid sister, not some random off the street, but Strange put it into a perspective he could not argue with.

He’d argued with Strange over this. Argued and fought that there had to be another way. That he was missing something. Pepper even got in on the act, telling Strange he needed to be absolutely certain. 

Strange had cut her off and told them point blank this was the only way to be certain. Then he asked Tony the most dire of all questions - would he risk his unborn child to save a girl that he doesn’t truly know.  Pepper had gone pale, her hand going back to her stomach. That had been the deciding factor. 

Now Tony is in tears with Chase in a room in the medical wing with Bruce who is trying to figure out what the flying fuck is going on. 

“You’re just going to send me back? That’s it?” Chase cries.

“Kiddo...if there was any other way. If I could do anything else…” Tony stops and wipes his eyes. This hurts like hell. It hurts more than when he found out his parents had been murdered. 

The door opens to the room and Steve and Bucky are there. Chase covers her face and cries that much harder. 

“What?” Tony snaps angrily. 

“Strange told us what’s going on,” Steve says quietly. He looks at Chase and then looks away. Tony can see the tears in Barnes’ eyes and he feels even more remorse now. 

“Chase…” Bucky says softly, “baby…we don’t have a choice.” 

Tony and Bruce look at Barnes in shock. Chase removes her hands from her face, her jaw hanging open.

“He’s right,” Steve agrees reluctantly. “These kinds of decisions...they aren’t easy. They hurt. But they have to be done. No one wants to see you go -”

“Tony, please,” she weeps, begging Tony to step in and save her. He’s all she has left it seems. He can see the tears falling from Barnes’ eyes now. Tony knows Steve and Barnes have been through enough shit to know that you sacrifice one to save many. It’s clear neither of them like it.

“There’s nothing he can do?” Bruce asks, completely bewildered by the crying and crazy talk. 

“I asked, Bucky asked -”

“So did I and so did Pepper. He’s sticking to his bullshit story -”

“It isn’t bullshit. I’ve seen what happens. I am sorry, Chase. I wish there was another way,” Strange says as he appears from a portal. 

“There has to be,” Bucky says suddenly. “Find it. Make it happen.”

“There isn’t time,” Strange snaps. 

“Watch it!” Tony snaps at Strange. 

“There isn’t enough time,” Strange says more calmly now. “Chase, I will send you back to your world and I will send you back in time, prior to the crash and your arrival here. You won’t remember anything. None of this will have happened.”

Tony sees Chase look to him then to Bucky for help. Bucky is falling apart, Steve isn’t doing much better and Tony’s at his wits end. He made the choice. Bucky and Steve made the choice. Chase has to accept that choice. Or she doesn’t. Either way, Strange is sending her back. 

“Don’t do this...Bucky...please…” she pleads to him.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” he whispers. 

“We have to do this now. There’s no more time to waste,” Strange states coolly. 

“Don’t -” she begs.

Tony hugs her tightly. “I love you, sis,” he whispers. “Do it.”

“Tony!” she cries and then her voice is gone. 


End file.
